< Numbers 21 >

1 The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
And Arad the Chananitish king who dwelt by the wilderness, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharin; and he made war on Israel, and carried off some of them captives.
2 Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliver this people into my power, I will devote it and its cities [to thee].
3 The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.
And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered the Chananite into his power; and [Israel] devoted him and his cities, and they called the name of that place Anathema.
4 They travelled from Mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Suf, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey.
And having departed from mount Or by the way [leading] to the Red Sea, they compassed the land of Edom, and the people lost courage by the way.
5 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, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, Why is this? Hast thou brought us ought of Egypt to slay us in the wilderness? for there is not bread nor water; and our soul loathes this light bread.
6 The LORD sent venomous snakes amongst the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died.
And the Lord sent among the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died.
7 The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people.
And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us.
8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal-[staff]; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one [so] bitten that looks upon it shall live.
9 Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a signal-[staff]: and it came to pass that whenever a serpent bit a man, and he looked on the brazen serpent, he lived.
10 The children of Israel travelled, and encamped in Oboth.
And the children of Israel departed, and encamped in Oboth.
11 They travelled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, towards the sunrise.
And having departed from Oboth, they encamped in Achalgai, on the farther side in the wilderness, which is opposite Moab, toward the east.
12 From there they travelled, and encamped in the valley of Zered.
And thence they departed, and encamped in the valley of Zared.
13 From there they travelled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
And they departed thence and encamped on the other side of Arnon in the wilderness, [the country] which extends from the coasts of the Amorites; for Arnon is the borders of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Therefore it is said in The Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon,
Therefore it is said in a book, A war of the Lord has set on fire Zoob, and the brooks of Arnon.
15 the slope of the valleys that incline towards the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.”
And he has appointed brooks to cause Er to dwell [there]; and it lies near to the coasts of Moab.
16 From there they travelled to Beer; that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
And thence [they came to] the well; this [is] the well of which the Lord said to Moses, Gather the people, and I will give them water to drink.
17 Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, well! Sing to it,
Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin [to sing] of the well;
18 the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the sceptre, and with their poles.” From the wilderness they travelled to Mattanah;
the princes digged it, the kings of the nations in their kingdom, in their lordship sank it in the rock: and [they went] from the well to Manthanain,
19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;
and from Manthanain to Naaliel, and from Naaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to Janen, which is in the plain of Moab [as seen] from the top of the quarried [rock] that looks toward the wilderness.
20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.
And Moses sent ambassadors to Seon king of the Amorites, with peaceable words, saying,
21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
We will pass through thy land, we will go by the road; we will not turn aside to the field or to the vineyard.
22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn away into field or vineyard. We will not drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed your border.”
We will not drink water out of thy well; we will go by the king's highway, until we have past thy boundaries.
23 Sihon would not allow 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. He fought against Israel.
And Seon did not allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Seon gathered all his people, and went out to set the battle in array against Israel into the wilderness; and he came to Jassa, and set the battle in array against Israel.
24 Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was fortified.
And Israel smote him with the slaughter of the sword, and they became possessors of his land, from Arnon to Jaboc, as far as the children of Amman, for Jazer is the borders of the children of Amman.
25 Israel took all these cities. Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.
And Israel took all their cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Esebon, and in all cities belonging to it.
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 to the Arnon.
For Esebon is the city of Seon king of the Amorites; and he before fought against the king of Moab, and they took all his land, from Aroer to Arnon.
27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established;
Therefore say they who deal in dark speeches, Come to Esebon, that the city of Seon may be built and prepared.
28 for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon.
For a fire has gone forth from Esebon, a flame from the city of Seon, and has consumed as far as Moab, and devoured the pillars of Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites.
Woe to thee, Moab; thou art lost, thou people of Chamos: their sons are sold for preservation, and their daughters are captives to Seon king of the Amorites.
30 We have shot at them. Heshbon has perished even to Dibon. We have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.”
And their seed shall perish [from] Esebon to Daebon; and their women have yet farther kindled a fire against Moab.
31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
And Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites.
32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer. They took its villages, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took it, and its villages, and cast out the Amorite that dwelt there.
33 They turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
And having returned, they went up the road thhebraismat leads to Basan; and Og the king of Basan went forth to meet them, and all his people to war to Edrain.
34 The LORD said to Moses, “Don’t fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
And the Lord said to Moses, Fear him not; for I have delivered him and all his people, and all his land, into thy hands; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Seon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Esebon.
35 So they struck him, with his sons and all his people, until there were no survivors; and they possessed his land.
And he smote him and his sons, and all his people, until he left none of his to be taken alive; and they inherited his land.

< Numbers 21 >