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 Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2So 3Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed hand over this people to me, then I will 4utterly destroy their cities.” 3The Lord heard the voice of Israel and turned over the Canaanites; then they 5utterly destroyed them and their cities. And the place was named 67Hormah.

4Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the 8Red Sea, to 9go around the land of Edom; and the 10people became impatient because of the journey. 5So the people spoke against God and Moses: “11Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no 12food and no water, and 1314we are disgusted with 15this miserable food.”

The Bronze Serpent

616Then the 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 against you; 20intercede with the Lord, that He will remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. 8Then the Lord said to Moses, “21Make a 22fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live.” 9So Moses made a 23bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

1024Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth. 11Then they 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. 14For that reason it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, “Waheb in Suphah, And the 29wadis of the Arnon,15And the slope of the wadis That extends to the site of 30Ar, And leans to the border of Moab.”

1631From there they continued to 32Beer, that is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”

1733Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it!18The well, which the leaders dug, Which the nobles of the people hollowed out, 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 34desert.

Two Victories

2135Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22“36Let 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 road until we have passed through your border.” 2337But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. Instead, Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to 38Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24Then 39Israel struck 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. 27For that reason those who use proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established.2844For a fire spread from Heshbon, A flame from the town of Sihon; It devoured 45Ar of Moab, The 4647dominant 48heights of the Arnon.2949Woe to you, Moab! You are destroyed, people of 50Chemosh! 51He has given his sons as fugitives, 52And his daughters into captivity, To an Amorite king, Sihon.30But we have shot them down with arrows, Heshbon is destroyed as far as 53Dibon, Then we have laid waste as far as Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.”

31So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32Now Moses sent men 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 against them 56with all his people, for battle at 57Edrei. 34But the Lord said to Moses, “58Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” 35So 59they 60killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor left; and they took possession of his land.