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¹ And there the Lord spak to Moises,² and seide, Sende thou men that schulen biholde the lond of Canaan, which Y schal yyue to the sones of Israel, of ech lynage o man of the princes.³ Moises dide that that the Lord comaundide, and sente fro the deseert of Pharan princes, men of whiche these ben the names.⁴ Of the lynage of Ruben, Semmya, the sone of Zectur.⁵ Of the lynage of Symeon, Saphat, the sone of Hury.⁶ Of the lynage of Juda, Caleph, the sone of Jephone.⁷ Of the lynage of Isachar, Igal, the sone of Joseph.⁸ Of the lynage of Effraym, Osee, the sone of Nun.⁹ Of the lynage of Beniamyn, Phalti, the sone of Raphu.¹⁰ Of the lynage of Zabulon, Gediel, the sone of Sodi.¹¹ Of the lynage of Joseph, of the gouernaunce of Manasses, Gaddi, the sone of Susy.¹² Of the lynage of Dan, Amyel, the sone of Gemalli.¹³ Of the lynage of Aser, Sur, the sone of Mychael.¹⁴ Of the lynage of Neptalym, Nabdi, the sone of Napsi.¹⁵ Of the lynage of Gad, Guel, the sone of Machi.¹⁶ These ben the names of men, which Moises sente to biholde the lond of Canaan; and he clepide Osee, the sone of Nun, Josue.¹⁷ Therfor Moises sente hem to biholde the lond of Canaan, and seide to hem, `Stie ye bi the south coost; and whanne ye comen to the hillis,<sup>18</sup> biholde ye the lond, what maner lond it is; and biholde ye the puple which is the dwellere therof, whether it is strong, ethir feble, `whether thei ben fewe in noumbre, ether manye;¹⁹ whether that lond is good, ethir yuel; what maner citees ben, wallid, ether without wallis;²⁰ whether the lond is fat, ether bareyn, `whether it is ful of woodis, ethir without trees. Be ye coumfortid, and `brynge ye to vs of the fruytis of that lond. Sotheli the tyme was, whanne grapis first ripe myyten be etun thanne.

²¹ And whanne thei hadden stied, thei aspieden the lond, fro the deseert of Syn `til to Rohob, as men entryth to Emath.²² And thei stieden to the south, and camen in to Ebron, where Achyman, and Sisai, and Tholmai, the sones of Enach, weren; for Hebron was maad bi seuen yeer bifor Thamnys, the citee of Egipt.²³ And thei yeden til to the stronde of clustre, and kittiden doun a sioun with his grape, which twei men baren in a barre; also thei token of pumgarnadis, and of the figis of that place which is clepid Nehelescol,²⁴ that is, the stronde of grape, for the sones of Israel baren a clustre fro thennus.²⁵ And the aspieris of the lond, whanne thei hadden cumpassid al the cuntrey, after fourti daies camen to Moises and Aaron,

²⁶ and to al the cumpany of the sones of Israel, in to the deseert of Pharan which is in Cades. And `the aspieris spaken to hem, and schewiden the fruytis of the lond to al the multitude, and telden,<sup>27</sup> and seiden, We camen to the lond, to which thou sentest vs, which lond treuli flowith with mylk and hony, as it may be knowun bi these fruytis;<sup>28</sup> but it hath strongeste inhabiteris, and grete cytees, and wallid; we sien there the kynrede of Anachym; Amalech dwellith in the south;<sup>29</sup> Ethei, and Jebusei, and Amorey dwellen in the hilli placis; forsothe Cananey dwellith bisidis the see, and bisidis the floodis of Jordan.<sup>30</sup> Among thes thingis Caleph peeside the grutchyng of the puple, that was maad ayens Moises, and seide, `Stie we, and welde we the lond, for we moun gete it.³¹ Forsothe other aspieris, that weren with hym, seiden, We moun not stie to this puple, for it is strongere than we.³² And thei deprauyden the lond which thei hadden biholde, anentis the sones of Israel, and seiden, The lond which we cumpassiden deuourith hise dwelleris; the puple which we bihelden is of large stature; there we syen summe wondris ayens kynde,³³ of the sones of Enach, of the kynde of geauntis, to whiche we weren comparisound, and weren seien as locustis.