Numbers 21

1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.

2 So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”

3 And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.

4 Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey

5 and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

6 So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”

9 So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

10 Then the Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.

11 They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness opposite Moab to the east.

12 From there they set out 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 into the Amorite territory. Now the Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.

14 Therefore it is stated in the Book of the Wars of the LORD: “Waheb in Suphah and the wadis of the Arnon,

15 even the slopes of the wadis that extend to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.”

16 From there they went on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people so that I may give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!

18 The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,

19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.

21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 “Let us pass through your land. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

24 And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.

25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its villages.

26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land as far as the Arnon.

27 That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt; let the city of Sihon be restored.

28 For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon’s heights.

29 Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He gave up his sons as refugees, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We demolished them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”

31 So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.

32 After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.

33 Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei.

34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

35 So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.

1 ¶ And [when] king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took [some] of them prisoners.

2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.

4 ¶ And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of 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, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

10 ¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.

11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which [is] before Moab, toward the sunrising.

12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.

13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which [is] in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon [is] the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.

16 And from thence [they went] to Beer: that [is] the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

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

18 The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by [the direction of] the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness [they went] to Mattanah:

19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:

20 And from Bamoth [in] the valley, that [is] in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

21 ¶ And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink [of] the waters of the well: [but] we will go along by the king's [high] way, until we be past thy borders.

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 he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto 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 villages 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 Arnon.

27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:

28 For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, [and] the lords of the high places of Arnon.

29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, 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 them 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 Jaazer, and they took the villages 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 the battle at Edrei.

34 And the LORD 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, which dwelt at Heshbon.

35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.

1 And when the Canaanite king Arad, which dwelt southward, heard that Israel was come in by the way of the spies, he fought against Israel, and carried away some captives.

2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, saying, If thou wilt deliver this people into mine hand, I will utterly destroy their cities.

3 And the LORD hearkened unto the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites, and utterly destroyed them and their cities, and called the name of the place Horma.

4 And they departed from Hor by the mountains, by the way of the Red sea, to go about the land of Edom. And the people were sore distressed in the way.

5 And he spake against God, and against Moses, saying, Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt, that we should die in the wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here, and our souls are disgusted with this meagre meat.

6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that a great multitude died in Israel.

7 And they came unto Moses, and said: We have sinned in that we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee. Ask the LORD to take away the serpents from us. Moses asked for the people.

8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent of brass, and set it up for a sign: whosoever is bitten, and beholdeth it, he shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it up for a sign: and if a serpent bit any man, he looked upon the serpent of brass, and lived.

10 And the children of Israel went out, and pitched in Oboth.

11 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijim, by mount Abarim, in the wilderness over against Moab, toward the rising of the sun.

12 And they departed thence, and pitched by the brook Sared.

13 And they removed from thence, and pitched on this side Arnon, which is in the wilderness, and cometh out from the border of the Amorites. For Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Therefore the book speaketh of the strife of the LORD: the Vaheb in Supha, and the brooks of the Arnon.

15 And the fountain of the rivers, which reacheth unto the city of Ar, and is the border of Moab.

16 And from thence they went unto the well. This is the well, whereof the LORD said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

17 And Israel sang this song, and sang round about the well:

18 This is the well which the princes have digged: the nobles of the people have digged it by the teacher and by their staffs. And from this wilderness they went to Mathana;

19 And from Mathaniah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;

20 And from Bamoth unto the valley that lieth in the field of Moab, unto the high mountain Pisgah, which looketh toward the wilderness.

21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying:

22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not go into the fields, nor into the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the well: we will go by the way of the land, until we come through thy border.

23 But Sihon would not suffer the children of Israel to pass through his border, but gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and when he was come to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto the children of Ammon: for the borders of the children of Ammon were fixed.

25 So Israel took all these cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all their daughters.

26 For Heshbon the city was Sihon king of the Amorites: and he had fought before with the king of Moab, and had taken all his land unto him, even unto Arnon.

27 Therefore they say in the proverb, Come to Heshbon, that they may build and establish the city of Sihon;

28 For fire is come out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon, which hath devoured Ar the Moabite, and the inhabitants of Arnon the high place.

29 Woe unto thee, Moab, for the people of Kamos are lost: they have put their sons to flight, and have carried away their daughters captive to Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 Her glory is destroyed from Heshbon unto Dibon; she is destroyed unto Nophah, which goeth unto Medbah.

31 So Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

32 And Moses sent out spies unto Jaesher; and they took their daughters, and took the Amorites that were within;

33 And they turned, and went up by the way of Bashan. And Og king of Bashan went out to meet them, he and all his people, to fight in Edrei.

34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thine hand, and the land, and the people; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

35 And they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left: and they possessed the land. Ch. 22. v. 1. After this the children of Israel went and encamped in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, against Jericho.