Numbers 21
1 The Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev learned that the Israelites were approaching on the road to Atharim. He went and attacked Israel and took some of them prisoners.
And Arad the Chananitish king who lived 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 So Israel made a solemn promise to the Lord: “If you hand these people over to us, we pledge to completely destroy their towns.”
And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If you will deliver this people into my power, I will devote it and its cities [to you].
3 The Lord responded to their appeal and handed over the Canaanites to them. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and named the place Hormah.
And the Lord listened 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 The Israelites left Mount Hor by the road leading to the Red Sea so they could avoid traveling through the country of Edom. But the people became bad-tempered on the way
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 and made complaints against God and against Moses, saying, “Why did you lead us out of Egypt to die in the desert? We don't have bread or water, and we hate this awful food!”
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, Why is this? Hast you brought us ought of Egypt to kill us in the wilderness? for there is not bread nor water; and our soul loathes this light bread.
6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes to attack them, and many Israelites were bitten and 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 went to see Moses and told him, “We were wrong to make complaints against the Lord and against you. Please pray to the Lord to get rid of the snakes from us.” Moses prayed to the Lord on their behalf.
And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against you: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us.
8 The Lord told Moses, “Make a model of a snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten looks at it, they will live.”
And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make you 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 snake out of bronze and put it on a pole. Those who looked at it did live.
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 Israelites left and camped at Oboth.
And the children of Israel departed, and encamped in Oboth.
11 Then they moved on from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the desert on the east side of Moab.
And having departed from Oboth, they encamped in Achalgai, on the farther side in the wilderness, which is opposite Moab, toward the east.
12 They left there and camped in the Valley of Zered.
And thence they departed, and encamped in the valley of Zared.
13 Then they moved on from there and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the desert near Amorite territory. The Arnon River is the border between the 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 That's why the Book of the Wars of the Lord refers to “the town of Waheb in Suphah and the canyon 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 canyon slopes that reach the village of Ar that lies on the border with 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 moved on to Beer, the well where the Lord told Moses, “Have the people gather together so I can 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 the Israelites sang this song: “Pour out water, well! Everyone of you sing to it!
Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin [to sing] of the well;
18 The tribal chiefs dug the well; yes the leaders of the people dug the well with their rods of authority and their walking sticks.” The Israelites left the desert and carried on 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 From Mattanah they traveled to Nahaliel, 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 in the territory of Moab where the top of Mount Pisgah looks down on the wastelands.
And Moses sent ambassadors to Seon king of the Amorites, with peaceful words, saying,
21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the following request:
We will pass through your land, we will go by the road; we will not turn aside to the field or to the vineyard.
22 “Please allow us to travel through your country. We won't cross any of your fields or vineyards, or drink water from any of your wells. We will stay on the King's Highway until we have passed through your country.”
We will not drink water out of your well; we will go by the king's highway, until we have past your boundaries.
23 But Sihon refused to allow the Israelites to travel through his territory. Instead, he called out his whole army and went out to meet the Israelites head-on in the desert. When he arrived at Jahaz, he attacked the Israelites.
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 The Israelites defeated them, killing them with their swords. They took over his land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River —but only as far as the border of the Ammonites, because it was well defended.
And Israel struck 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 The Israelites conquered all the Amorite towns and took them over, including Heshbon and its surrounding villages.
And Israel took all their cities, and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Esebon, and in all cities belonging to it.
26 Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the previous king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon River.
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 That's why the old songwriters wrote: “Come to Heshbon and have it be rebuilt; restore the town of Sihon!
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 blazed out from Heshbon, a flame from the town of Sihon. It burned up Ar in Moab where the rulers live on the high places of 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 What a disaster you face, Moab! You are all going to die, people of Chemosh! You handed over your sons as exiles and your daughters as prisoners to Sihon, king of the Amorites.
Woe to you, Moab; you are lost, you people of Chamos: their sons are sold for preservation, and their daughters are captives to Seon king of the Amorites.
30 But now we have defeated the Amorites! Heshbon's rule has been destroyed all the way to Dibon. We wiped them out all the way to Nophah and on to Medeba.”
And their seed shall perish [from] Esebon to Daebon; and their women have yet farther kindled a fire against Moab.
31 The Israelites occupied the country of the Amorites.
And Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites.
32 Moses sent men to explore Jazer. The Israelites conquered its surrounding villages and expelled the Amorites living there.
And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took it, and its villages, and cast out the Amorite that lived there.
33 Then they continued on the road towards Bashan. Og, king of Bashan, led his whole army out to meet them head on, and fought them 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 told Moses, “You don't need to be afraid of him, because I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon.”
And the Lord said to Moses, Fear him not; for I have delivered him and all his people, and all his land, into your hands; and you shall do to him as you did to Seon king of the Amorites, who lived in Esebon.
35 So they killed Og, his sons, and all his army. Nobody survived, and the Israelites took over his country.
And he struck him and his sons, and all his people, until he left none of his to be taken alive; and they inherited his land.
