Numbers 21

1 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.2 And Israel vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.3 And Jehovah hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.

4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.6 And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.7 And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.8 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.

10 And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in Oboth.11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.12 From thence they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered.13 From thence they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that cometh out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Jehovah, Vaheb in Suphah, And the valleys of the Arnon,

15 And the slope of the valleys That inclineth toward the dwelling of Ar, And leaneth upon the border of Moab.

16 And from thence they journeyed to Beer: that is the well whereof Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

17 Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

18 The well, which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre, and with their staves. And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah;19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh down upon the desert.

21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed thy border.23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel.24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the towns thereof.26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto the Arnon.27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come ye to Heshbon; Let the city of Sihon be built and established:

28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon: It hath devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon.

29 Woe to thee, Moab! Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: He hath given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, And we have laid waste even unto Nophah, Which reacheth unto Medeba.

31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the towns thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.

33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.34 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.35 So they smote him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.

Numbers 21

Victory at Hormah

1 s When the Canaanite king of Arads who lived in the Negevt heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.
2 So Israel made a vowt to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed delivert this people into ourt hand, then we will utterly destroyt their cities.”

3 The Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites,s and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of the place was calledt Hormah.

Fiery Serpents

4 Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea,t to go around the land of Edom, but the peoplet became impatient along the way.

5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and wet detest this worthlesst food.”
6 So the Lord sent poisonoust snakest among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.

7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he would take awayt the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten lookst at it, he will live.”

9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.s

The Approach to Moab

10 s The Israelites traveled on and camped in Oboth.11 Then they traveled on from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim,s in the wilderness that is before Moab, on the eastern side.t12 From there they moved on and camped in the valley of Zered.13 From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the regionst of the Amorites, for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 This is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,
“Waheb in Suphahs and the wadis,
the Arnon

15 and the slope of the valleyss
that extends to the dwelling of Ar,s
and falls off at the border of Moab.”
16 And from there they traveledt to Beer;s that is the well where the Lord spoke to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sangt this song:
“Spring up, O well, sing to it!

18 The well which the princess dug,
which the leaders of the people opened
with their scepters and their staffs.”
And from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;

20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, near the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the wilderness.t

The Victory over Sihon and Og

21 s Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,s
22 “Let ust pass through your land;s we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King’s Highway until we pass your borders.”23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; het gathered all his forcest together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. Whent he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.24 But the Israelitest defeated him in battlet and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended.25 So Israel took all these cities; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.t26 For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites. Now he had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all of his land from his control,s as far as the Arnon.

27 That is why those who speak in proverbss say,
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built.
Let the city of Sihon be established!t

28 For fire went out from Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It has consumed Ar of Moab
and the lordss of the high places of Arnon.

29 Woe to you, Moab.
You are ruined, O people of Chemosh!s
He has made his sons fugitives,
and his daughters the prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites.

30 We have overpowered them;s
Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.
We have shattered them as far as Nophah,
whichs reaches to Medeba.”
31 So the Israelitest lived in the land of the Amorites.

32 Moses sent spies to reconnoitert Jaazer, and they captured its villagest and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
33 Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan. And King Og of Bashan and all his forcest marched out against them to do battle at Edrei.34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.

35 So they defeated Og,t his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors,t and they possessed his land.