Numbers 21

Arad Conquered

1When the Canaanite, the king of 1Arad, who lived in the 2Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of 3Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2So 4Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will 5utterly destroy their cities.” 3The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they 6utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called 78Hormah.

4Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the 9Red Sea, to 10go around the land of Edom; and the 11people became impatient because of the journey. 5The people spoke against God and Moses, “12Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no 13food and no water, and 1415we loathe this miserable food.”

The Bronze Serpent

616The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and 17they bit the people, so that 18many people of Israel died. 719So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; 20intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. 8Then the Lord said to Moses, “21Make a 22fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” 9And Moses made a 23bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

1024Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth. 11They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, to the 25east. 1226From there they set out and camped in 27Wadi Zered. 13From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, 28for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, “Waheb in Suphah, And the wadis of the Arnon,15And the slope of the wadis That extends to the site of 29Ar, And leans to the border of Moab.”

1630From there they continued to 31Beer, that is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”

1732Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it!18The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah, 19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the 33wasteland.

Two Victories

2134Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22“35Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.” 2336But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to 37Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24Then 38Israel 39struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the 40border of the sons of Ammon was 41Jazer. 25Israel took all these cities and 42Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her 43villages. 26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27Therefore those who use proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established.2844For a fire went forth from Heshbon, A flame from the town of Sihon; It devoured 45Ar of Moab, The 4647dominant 48heights of the Arnon.2949Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of 50Chemosh! 51He has given his sons as fugitives, 52And his daughters into captivity, To an Amorite king, Sihon.30But we have cast them down, Heshbon is ruined as far as 53Dibon, Then we have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.”

31Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32Moses sent to spy out 54Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

3355Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out 56with all his people, for battle at 57Edrei. 34But the Lord said to Moses, “58Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35So 59they 60killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land.