Numbers · Chapter 13

[ edit] And þere þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Seend men þat biholden þe loond of Chanaan, þat I am to ȝyuynge þe ſones of Yrael, eche of eche lynagis, of þe princes. And Moyſes dide þat þe Lord hadde comaundid, fro þe deſeert of Pharan ſeendynge men princes, of whom þes ben þe names. Of þe lynage of Ruben, Semmya, þe ſone of Zeccur. Of þe linage of Symeon, Saphat, þe ſone of Hury. Of þe lynage of Juda, Caleph, þe ſone of Jephone. Of þe lynage of Yſachar, Agal, þe ſone of Joſeph. Of þe lynage of Effraym, Oſee, þe ſone of Nun. Of þe lynage of Beniamyn, Phalti, þe ſone of Raphu. Of þe lynage of Zabulon, Gedihel, þe ſone of Sody.

Of þe lynage of Joſeph, Gaddi, of þe ſeptre of Manaſſe, þe ſone of Suſy. Of þe lynage of Dan, Ammyhel, þe ſone of Gemalli. Of þe lynage of Aſer, Sur, þe ſone of Mychael. Of þe lynage of Neptalym, Nabdi, þe ſone of Naphi. Of þe lynage of Gad, Guhel, þe ſone of Machi. Þes ben þe names of þe men, þe whiche Moyſes ſent to biholde þe loond of Chanaan; and he clepide Oſee, þe ſone of Nun, Joſue.

Þanne Moyſes ſente hem to biholde þe loond of Chanaan, and ſeyde to hem, Stye ȝe vp bi þe ſowþ plage; and whanne ȝe come into þe hillis, beholde ȝe þe loond, what it is; and þe puple þat is dweller of it, wheþir it be ſtronge, or feble, fewe in noumbre, or many; þat loond, good, or yuel; what maner citees, wallid, or wiþ outen wallis; þe erþe, fat, or bareyn, wodi, or wiþ outen trees. Be ȝe comfortyd, and brynge ȝe to vs of þe fruytis of þat loond. It was forſoþe tyme, whanne now þe before rijp grapes myȝte be eete. And whanne þei ſteyden vp, þei enſerchiden þe loond, fro þe deſeert of Syn vnto Rohob, hem entrynge Emaþ.

And þei ſtyeden vp to þe ſowþ, and camen into Ebron, where weren Achyman, and Siſay, and Tholmay, þe ſone of Enaþ; forſoþe Ebron ſeuen ȝeris before Thannyn, þe cytee of Egipte, is maad. And þei goynge vnto þe rennynge watir of þe cluſtre, kyttiden a vyn wiþ his grape, þe which two men beeren in a ſtaf; of þe powmgarnettis forſoþe, and of þe figis of þat place þei token, þe which is clepid Neheleſcol, þat is, þe rennynge water of þe cluſtre, for þi þat þe children of Yrael brouȝten þens a cluſtre. And þe ſpiers of þe loond turneden aftir fourti days, al þe regioun goon about, þei camen to Moyſes, and to Aaron, and to al þe companye of þe ſones of Yrael, into deſeert of Pharan þat is in Cades.

And þei ſpeken to hem, and to al þe multitude þei ſhewiden þe fruytis of þe loond. And þei tolden, ſeiynge, We camen to þe loond, to þe which ȝe ſenten vs, þe whiche forſoþe flowiþ mylk and hony, as of þes fruytis it may be knowe; but mooſt ſtronge dwellers it haþ, and greet citees, and wallid; þe lynage of Enachym we han ſeen þere; Amalech dwelliþ in þe ſowþ; Eþeus, and Jebuzeus, and Amorreus in þe mownteyns; Chananeus forſoþe dwelliþ biſide þe ſee, and about þe flodis of Jordan. Amonge þes þingis Caleph ſwagynge þe grucchynge of þe puple, þat ſpronge aȝens Moyſes, ſeiþ, Stie we vp, and weeld we þis loond, for we mowen gete it.

Oþer forſoþe þat weren wiþ hym, ſeiden, Nay, to þis puple we ben not myȝti to ſtye vp, for ſtrenger þan we he is. And þei myſſeiden of þe loond þat þei bihelden, anentis þe ſones of Yrael, ſeiynge, Þe loond þat we han paſſid deuowriþ his dwellers; þe puple þe which we han biholde is of huge ſtature; þere we ſeyen þingis paſſynge þe courſe of kynde, of þe ſones of Enach, of þe kynde of geauntis, to whiche comparyſound as locuſtis we weren ſeen.