And if you come with us, it is certain ¹  that whatever good things the Lord will favor us with, we will share with you as well.”

They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly ¹  good land.

and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities,

The Israelites took the women of Midian captives along with their little ones, and took all their herds, all their flocks, and all their goods as plunder.

and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods.

‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond ¹  the commandment ²  of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will, ³  but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’?

¹ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel, the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, ²  “We are journeying to the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, ³  for the Lord has promised good things ⁴  for Israel.”

“And say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves ¹  for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing ²  of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat, ³  for life ⁴  was good for us in Egypt?” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat.

and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave, ¹  and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the time of year ²  for the first ripe grapes. ³ 

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, ¹  that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? ² 

Each soldier had taken plunder for himself.

‘How ¹  beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!

They burned ¹  all their towns ²  where they lived and all their encampments.

They took all the plunder and all the spoils, both people and animals.

¹ Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, ² 

But Moses said, “Why ¹  are you now transgressing the commandment ²  of the Lord? It will not succeed!

The Israelites said to Moses, “We are bound to die! ¹  We perish, we all perish!

Thus they will have towns in which to live, and their grazing lands will be for their cattle, for their possessions, and for all their animals.

¹ Now the mixed multitude ²  who were among them craved more desirable foods, ³  and so the Israelites wept again ⁴  and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ 

and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders ¹  of the community, chosen from the assembly, ²  famous men. ³