< Numbers 21 >

1 And the Canaanite — king Arad — dwelling in the south, heareth that Israel hath come the way of the Atharim, and he fighteth against Israel, and taketh [some] of them captive.
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was traveling by the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.
2 And Israel voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, 'If Thou dost certainly give this people into my hand, then I have devoted their cities;'
Israel vowed to Yahweh and said, “If you give us victory over these people, then we will completely destroy their cities.”
3 and Jehovah hearkeneth to the voice of Israel, and giveth up the Canaanite, and he devoteth them and their cities, and calleth the name of the place Hormah.
Yahweh listened to Israel's voice and he gave them victory over the Canaanites. They completely destroyed them and their cities. That place was called Hormah.
4 And they journey from mount Hor, the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom, and the soul of the people is short in the way,
They traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Sea of Reeds to go around the land of Edom. The people became very discouraged on the way.
5 and the people speak against God, and against Moses, 'Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to die in a wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul hath been weary of this light bread.'
The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, no water, and we hate this miserable food.”
6 And Jehovah sendeth among the people the burning serpents, and they bite the people, and much people of Israel die;
Then Yahweh sent poisonous snakes among the people. The snakes bit the people; many people died.
7 and the people come in unto Moses and say, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, and He doth turn aside from us the serpent;' and Moses prayeth in behalf of the people.
The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned because we have spoken against Yahweh and you. Pray to Yahweh for him to take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Make for thee a burning [serpent], and set it on an ensign; and it hath been, every one who is bitten and hath seen it — he hath lived.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a snake and attach it to a pole. It will happen that everyone who is bitten will survive, if he looks at it.”
9 And Moses maketh a serpent of brass, and setteth it on the ensign, and it hath been, if the serpent hath bitten any man, and he hath looked expectingly unto the serpent of brass — he hath lived.
So Moses made a bronze snake and attached it to a pole. When a snake bit any person, if he looked at the bronze snake, he survived.
10 And the sons of Israel journey, and encamp in Oboth.
Then the people of Israel traveled on and camped at Oboth.
11 And they journey from Oboth, and encamp in Ije-Abarim, in the wilderness that [is] on the front of Moab, at the rising of the sun.
They traveled from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim in the wilderness that faces Moab toward the east.
12 From thence they have journeyed, and encamp in the valley of Zared.
From there they traveled on and camped in the Valley of Zered.
13 From thence they have journeyed, and encamp beyond Arnon, which [is] in the wilderness which is coming out of the border of the Amorite, for Arnon [is] the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorite;
From there they traveled on and camped on the other side of the Arnon River, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites. The Arnon River forms the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 therefore it is said in a book, 'The wars of Jehovah,' — 'Waheb in Suphah, And the brooks of Arnon;
That is why it says in the scroll of the Wars of Yahweh, “... Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,
15 And the spring of the brooks, Which turned aside to the dwelling of Ar, And hath leaned to the border of Moab.'
the slope of the valleys that lead toward the town of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.”
16 And from thence [they journeyed] to Beer; it [is] the well [concerning] which Jehovah said to Moses, 'Gather the people, and I give to them — water.'
From there they traveled to Beer, the well where Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather the people together for me to give them water.”
17 Then singeth Israel this song, concerning the well — they have answered to it:
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, well! Sing about it,
18 'A well — digged it have princes, Prepared it have nobles of the people, With the lawgiver, with their staves.' And from the wilderness [they journeyed] to Mattanah,
about the well that our leaders dug, the well the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and their staffs.” Then from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah.
19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
From Mattanah they traveled to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth in the valley which [is] in the field of Moab [to] the top of Pisgah, which hath looked on the front of the wilderness.
and from Bamoth to a valley in the land of Moab. That is where the top of Mount Pisgah looks down on the wilderness.
21 And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorite, saying,
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites saying,
22 'Let me pass through thy land, we do not turn aside into a field, or into a vineyard, we do not drink waters of a well; in the king's way we go, till that we pass over thy border.'
“Let us pass through your land. We will not turn into any field or vineyard. We will not drink the water from your wells. We will travel by the king's highway until we have crossed your border.”
23 And Sihon hath not suffered Israel to pass through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and cometh out to meet Israel into the wilderness, and cometh in to Jahaz, and fighteth against Israel.
But King Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through their border. Instead, Sihon gathered all his army together and attacked Israel in the wilderness. He came to Jahaz, where he fought against Israel.
24 And Israel smiteth him by the mouth of the sword, and possesseth his land from Arnon unto Jabbok — unto the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon [is] strong.
Israel attacked the army of Sihon with the edge of the sword and took their land from the Arnon to the Jabbok river, as far as the land of the people of Ammon. Now the border of the people of Ammon was fortified.
25 And Israel taketh all these cities, and Israel dwelleth in all the cities of the Amorite, in Heshbon, and in all its villages;
Israel took all the Amorite cities and lived in all of them, including Heshbon and all of its villages.
26 for Heshbon is a city of Sihon king of the Amorite, and he hath fought against the former king of Moab, and taketh all his land out of his hand, unto Arnon;
Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab. Sihon had taken all his land from his territory to the Arnon River.
27 therefore those using similes say — 'Enter ye Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and ready,
That is why those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be rebuilt and established again.
28 For fire hath gone out from Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon, It hath consumed Ar of Moab, Owners of the high places of Arnon.
A fire blazed from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon that devoured Ar of Moab, and the owners of the high places of Arnon.
29 Woe to thee, O Moab, Thou hast perished, O people of Chemosh, He hath given his sons who escape — Also his daughters — Into captivity, to a king of the Amorite — Sihon!
Woe to you, Moab! You have perished, people of Chemosh. He has made his sons to be fugitives and his daughters to be prisoners of Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 And we shoot them, Perished hath Heshbon unto Dibon, And we make desolate unto Nophah, Which [is] unto Medeba.'
But we have conquered Sihon. Heshbon is devastated all the way to Dibon. We have defeated them all the way to Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”
31 And Israel dwelleth in the land of the Amorite,
So Israel began to live in the Amorites' land.
32 and Moses sendeth to spy out Jaazer, and they capture its villages, and dispossess the Amorite who [is] there,
Then Moses sent men to look at Jazer. They took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33 and turn and go up the way of Bashan, and Og king of Bashan cometh out to meet them, he and all his people, to battle, [at] Edrei.
Then they turned and went up by the road of Bashan. Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his army, to fight them at Edrei.
34 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Fear him not, for into thy hand I have given him, and all his people, and his land, and thou hast done to him as thou hast done to Sihon king of the Amorite, who is dwelling in Heshbon.'
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Do not fear him, because I have given you victory over him, all his army, and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
35 And they smite him, and his sons, and all his people, until he hath not left to him a remnant, and they possess his land.
So they killed him, his sons, and all his army, until none of his people were left alive. Then they took over his land.

< Numbers 21 >