Remember when Moses said to his people, "O my people! Remember God's favour to you, He has raised up prophets among you, made you kings, and granted you [favours] such as He has not granted to anyone else in the world. 20 O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has prescribed for you, and turn not back in your traces, to turn about losers.' 21 They said, "Moses, in that land there is a powerful people. Never shall we enter it until they leave it: if they leave, then we shall certainly enter it." 22 Thereupon two God-fearing men whom God had blessed said, "Go into them through the gate -- for as soon as you enter, you shall surely be victorious! Put your trust in God if you are true believers." 23 They said: "O Moses, we shall never, never enter so long as they are there. Go you and your Lord to fight them; we stay here." 24 He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrong-doing folk. 25 God said, "The land is forbidden to them for forty years, while they wander around the earth, bewildered; do not grieve over these wicked people." 26