Numbers 21

Chapter 21

Victory over the Canaanites

1 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners.2 Then the people of Israel made this vow to the LORD: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroyt all their towns.”

3 The LORD heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormaht ever since.

The Bronze Snake

4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Seat to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey,

5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”
6 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.

7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”

9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!

Israel’s Journey to Moab

10 The Israelites traveled next to Oboth and camped there.11 Then they went on to Iye-abarim, in the wilderness on the eastern border of Moab.12 From there they traveled to the valley of Zered Brook and set up camp.13 Then they moved out and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness adjacent to the territory of the Amorites. The Arnon is the boundary line between the Moabites and the Amorites.14 For this reason The Book of the Wars of the LORD speaks of “the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon River,

15 and the ravines that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab.”
16 From there the Israelites traveled to Beer,t which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.”

17 There the Israelites sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!
Yes, sing its praises!18 Sing of this well,
which princes dug,
which great leaders hollowed out
with their scepters and staffs.”
Then the Israelites left the wilderness and proceeded on through Mattanah,19 Nahaliel, and Bamoth.

20 After that they went to the valley in Moab where Pisgah Peak overlooks the wasteland.t

Victory over Sihon and Og

21 The Israelites sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message:
22 “Let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road until we have passed through your territory.”23 But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz.

24 But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified.t
25 So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages.26 Heshbon had been the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had defeated a former Moabite king and seized all his land as far as the Arnon River.

27 Therefore, the ancient poets wrote this about him:
“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt!
Let the city of Sihon be restored.28 A fire flamed forth from Heshbon,
a blaze from the city of Sihon.
It burned the city of Ar in Moab;
it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights.29 What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab!
You are finished, O worshipers of Chemosh!
Chemosh has left his sons as refugees,
his daughters as captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.30 We have utterly destroyed them,
from Heshbon to Dibon.
We have completely wiped them out
as far away as Nophah and Medeba.t”31 So the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites.32 After Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the region and drove out the Amorites who lived there.33 Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei.34 The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.”

35 And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land.

NUMBERS 21

Israel Defeats //the Canaanites at Hormah

1  t The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.

2 The Israelites prayed, “Our [Lord], if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you.”t

3 The [Lord] answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means “Destroyed Place.”

Moses //Makes a Bronze Snake

5 t that they complained against God and said to Moses, “Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!”

6 Then the [Lord] sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.

7 Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, “It was wrong of us to insult you and the [Lord]. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away.”
Moses prayed,

8 and the [Lord] answered, “Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and be saved from death.”

9  t Moses obeyed the [Lord]. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.

Israel's Journey to Moab

15 with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar.

16 From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the [Lord] had said to Moses, “Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink.”

17 That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song:
Let's celebrate!
The well has given us water.

18 With their royal scepters,
our leaders pointed out
where to dig the well.
The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah, 19 then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth.

20 Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgaht in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.

Israel Defeats King Sihon //the Amorite

(Deuteronomy 2.26-37)

21 The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:

22 Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we'll stay on the main road.t
23 But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz.

24 Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.
25 The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. 26 King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge.

27 That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon:
Come and rebuild Heshbon,
King Sihon's capital city!

28  t His armies marched out
like fiery flames,
burning down the town of Ar
and destroyingt the hills
along the Arnon River.

29 You Moabites are done for!
Your god Chemosh
deserted your people;
they were captured, taken away
by King Sihon the Amorite.

30 We completely defeated Moab.
The towns of Heshbon and Dibon,
of Nophah and Medeba
are ruined and gone.t
31 After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory,

32 Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.

Israel Defeats King Og //of Bashan

(Deuteronomy 3.1-11)

33 The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.

34 The [Lord] said to Moses, “Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours.”
35 So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army—there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.