36-37. The men Moses had sent to explore the land brought back a false report which caused the people to complain against the Lord. And so the Lord struck them with a disease, and they died.
38. Of the twelve spies only Joshua and Caleb survived.
39. When Moses told the Israelites what the Lord had said, they mourned bitterly.
40. Early the next morning they started out to invade the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go to the place which the Lord told us about. We admit that we have sinned.”