8. Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land.
9. After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the lord was giving them.
10. Then the lord was very angry with them, and he vowed,
11. ‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly.
12. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the lord.’
13. “The lord was angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation that sinned in the lord’s sight had died.
14. But here you are, a brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thing! You are making the lord even angrier with Israel.
15. If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!”
16. But they approached Moses and said, “We simply want to build pens for our livestock and fortified towns for our wives and children.
17. Then we will arm ourselves and lead our fellow Israelites into battle until we have brought them safely to their land. Meanwhile, our families will stay in the fortified towns we build here, so they will be safe from any attacks by the local people.