Wednesday 3 August 1983

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2“Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan,which I give to the children of Israel.Of every tribe of their fathers,you shall send a man,every one a prince among them.”· · · verses 3–24 are not read25They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.26They went and came to Moses,to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel,to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh;and brought back word to them and to all the congregation.They showed them the fruit of the land.27They told him, and said,“We came to the land where you sent us.Surely it flows with milk and honey,and this is its fruit.28However, the people who dwell in the land are strong,and the cities are fortified and very large.Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there.29Amalek dwells in the land of the South.The Hittite, the Jebusite,and the Amorite dwell in the hill country.The Canaanite dwells by the sea,and along the side of the Jordan.”

30Caleb stilled the people before Moses,and said, “Let’s go up at once, and possess it;for we are well able to overcome it!”

31But the men who went up with him said,“We aren’t able to go up against the people;for they are stronger than we.”32They brought up an evil report of the landwhich they had spied out to the children of Israel,saying, “The land,through which we have gone to spy it out,is a land that eats up its inhabitants;and all the peoplewho we saw in it are men of great stature.33There we saw the Nephilim,the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim.We were in our own sight as grasshoppers,and so we were in their sight.”

1All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried;and the people wept that night.· · · verses 2–25 are not read26The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,27“How long shall I bear with this evil congregationthat complain against me?I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel,which they complain against me.28Tell them, ‘As I live,says the Lord, surely as you have spoken in my ears,so I will do to you.29Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness;and all who were counted of you,according to your whole number,from twenty years old and upward,who have complained against me,· · · verses 30–33 are not read34After the number of the days inwhich you spied out the land,even forty days, for every day a year,you will bear your iniquities,even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’35I, the Lord, have spoken.I will surely do this to all this evil congregationwho are gathered together against me.In this wilderness they shall be consumed,and there they shall die.”

6We have sinned with our fathers.We have committed iniquity.We have done wickedly.7Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt.They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses,but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

13They soon forgot his works.They didn’t wait for his counsel,14but gave in to craving in the desert,and tested God in the wasteland.

21They forgot God, their Savior,who had done great things in Egypt,22wondrous works in the land of Ham,and awesome things by the Red Sea.

23Therefore he said that he would destroy them,had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach,to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them.

21Jesus went out from thereand withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.22Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried,saying, “Have mercy on me,Lord, you son of David!My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!”

23But he answered her not a word.

His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away;for she cries after us.”

24But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyonebut the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

26But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s breadand throw it to the dogs.”

27But she said, “Yes,Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbswhich fall from their masters’ table.”

28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith!Be it done to you even as you desire.”And her daughter was healed from that hour.