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.
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 So Israel made a solemn promise to the Lord: “If you hand these people over to us, we pledge to completely destroy their towns.”
Israel vowed to Yahweh and said, “If you give us victory over these people, then we will completely destroy their cities.”
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.
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 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
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 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!”
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 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes to attack them, and many Israelites were bitten and died.
Then Yahweh sent poisonous snakes among the people. The snakes bit the people; many people 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.
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 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.”
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 Moses made a snake out of bronze and put it on a pole. Those who looked at it did live.
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 The Israelites left and camped at Oboth.
Then the people of Israel traveled on and camped at Oboth.
11 Then they moved on from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the desert on the east side of Moab.
They traveled from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim in the wilderness that faces Moab toward the east.
12 They left there and camped in the Valley of Zered.
From there they traveled on and camped in the Valley of Zered.
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.
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 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,
That is why it says in the scroll of the Wars of Yahweh, “... Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,
15 the canyon slopes that reach the village of Ar that lies on the border with Moab.”
the slope of the valleys that lead toward the town of Ar and lie along the border 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.”
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 the Israelites sang this song: “Pour out water, well! Everyone of you sing to it!
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, well! Sing about it,
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.
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 From Mattanah they traveled to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
From Mattanah they traveled to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab where the top of Mount Pisgah looks down on the wastelands.
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 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the following request:
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites saying,
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.”
“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 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.
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 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.
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 The Israelites conquered all the Amorite towns and took them over, including Heshbon and its surrounding villages.
Israel took all the Amorite cities and lived in all of them, including Heshbon and all of its villages.
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.
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 That's why the old songwriters wrote: “Come to Heshbon and have it be rebuilt; restore the town of Sihon!
That is why those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be rebuilt and established again.
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.
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 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 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 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.”
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 The Israelites occupied the country of the Amorites.
So Israel began to live in the Amorites' land.
32 Moses sent men to explore Jazer. The Israelites conquered its surrounding villages and expelled the Amorites living there.
Then Moses sent men to look at Jazer. They took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were 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.
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 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.”
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 So they killed Og, his sons, and all his army. Nobody survived, and the Israelites took over his country.
So they killed him, his sons, and all his army, until none of his people were left alive. Then they took over his land.
