Numbers 21
1 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.
And when king Arad the Canaanite, who was living toward the south, had heard this, namely, that Israel had arrived by the way of spies, he fought against them. And proving to be the victor, he led away prey from them.
2 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].
But Israel, obliging himself by a vow to the Lord, said: “If you deliver this people into my hand, I will wipe away their cities.”
3 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.
And the Lord heard the prayers of Israel, and he delivered the Canaanite, whom they put to death, overthrowing his cities. And they called the name of that place Hormah, that is, Anathema.
4 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.
Then they set out from mount Hor, by the way that leads to the Red Sea, to circle around the land of Edom. And the people began to tire of their journey and hardships.
5 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.
And speaking against God and Moses, they said: “Why did you lead us away from Egypt, so as to die in the wilderness? Bread is lacking; there are no waters. Our soul is now nauseous over this very light food.”
6 And the Lord sent among the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died.
For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them.
7 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.
And so they went to Moses, and they said: “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray, so that he may take away these serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.
8 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.
And the Lord said to him: “Make a bronze serpent, and place it as a sign. Whoever, having been struck, gazes upon it, shall live.”
9 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.
Therefore, Moses made a bronze serpent, and he placed it as a sign. When those who had been struck gazed upon it, they were healed.
10 And the children of Israel departed, and encamped in Oboth.
And the sons of Israel, setting out, made camp at Oboth.
11 And having departed from Oboth, they encamped in Achalgai, on the farther side in the wilderness, which is opposite Moab, toward the east.
Having departed from there, they pitched their tents at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness, which looks out toward Moab, opposite the eastern region.
12 And thence they departed, and encamped in the valley of Zared.
And moving from there, they arrived at the Torrent of Zared.
13 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.
Having left that place behind, they then made camp opposite Arnon, which is in the desert, and which juts out at the borders of the Amorite. For certainly Arnon is at the limit of Moab, dividing the Moabites and the Amorites.
14 Therefore it is said in a book, A war of the Lord has set on fire Zoob, and the brooks of Arnon.
About this place, it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord: “As he did at the Red Sea, so will he do at the Torrents of Arnon.”
15 And he has appointed brooks to cause Er to dwell [there]; and it lies near to the coasts of Moab.
The stones of the torrents were bent, so that they might rest in Ar and lie back within the borders of the Moabites.
16 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.
Beyond that place appeared a well, about which the Lord said to Moses: “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
17 Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin [to sing] of the well;
Then Israel sang this verse: “Let the well rise up.” They sang:
18 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,
“The well, the leaders dug it, and the commanders of the multitude prepared it, at the direction of the lawgiver, and with their staffs.”
19 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.
They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 And Moses sent ambassadors to Seon king of the Amorites, with peaceful words, saying,
from Bamoth, a valley in the region of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks out opposite the desert.
21 We will pass through your land, we will go by the road; we will not turn aside to the field or to the vineyard.
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying:
22 We will not drink water out of your well; we will go by the king's highway, until we have past your boundaries.
“I beg you to permit me to cross through your land. We will not turn aside into the fields or the vineyards. We will not drink waters from the wells. We will travel by the royal way, until we have passed your borders.”
23 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.
And he was not willing to allow Israel to cross through his borders. But instead, gathering an army, he went out to meet them in the desert, and he arrived at Jahaz and fought against them.
24 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.
And he was struck down by them with the edge of the sword, and they possessed his land from Arnon, even to Jabbok and the sons of Ammon. For the borders of the Ammonites were held by a strong fortress.
25 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.
Therefore, Israel took all his cities and lived in the cities of the Amorite, namely, in Heshbon and its villages.
26 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.
Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who fought against the king of Moab. And he took all the land, which had been under his sovereignty, as far as Arnon.
27 Therefore say they who deal in dark speeches, Come to Esebon, that the city of Seon may be built and prepared.
About this, it is said in the proverb: “Enter into Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be established and built.
28 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.
A fire has gone forth from Heshbon, a flame from the town of Sihon, and it has devoured Ar of the Moabites, and the inhabitants of the heights of Arnon.
29 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.
Woe to you, Moab! You are perishing, O people of Chemosh. He gave flight to his sons, and he gave the daughters into captivity, to the king of the Amorites, Sihon.
30 And their seed shall perish [from] Esebon to Daebon; and their women have yet farther kindled a fire against Moab.
Their yoke has been scattered from Heshbon even to Dibon. They have passed through, wearily, into Nophah, and as far as Medeba.”
31 And Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites.
And so Israel lived in the land of the Amorite.
32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took it, and its villages, and cast out the Amorite that lived there.
And Moses sent some to explore Jazer. These captured its villages and possessed its inhabitants.
33 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.
And they turned themselves and ascended, along the way of Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, met them with all his people, to fight at Edrei.
34 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.
And the Lord said to Moses: “Do not be afraid of him. For I have delivered him, and all his people, as well as his land, into your hand. And you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, the inhabitant of Heshbon.”
35 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.
Therefore, they struck him down also, with his sons, and all his people, even to utter destruction, and they possessed his land.
