Numbers 21
1 And when the Canaanite, the king of 'Arad, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel was coming by the way of the spies: he made an attack on Israel, and took from them some prisoners.
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 made a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt but deliver this people into my hand, then will I devote their cities.
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 hearkened to the voice of Israel, and he delivered up the Canaanites; and they devoted them and their cities: and they called the name of the place Chormah.
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 they set forward from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go round the land of Edom: and the spirit of the people became impatient because of 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, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this miserable 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 let loose against the people poisonous serpents, and they bit the people; and there died much people of Israel.
For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them.
7 And the people then came to Moses, and they said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away from us the serpents. And Moses prayed for the people.
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 the Lord said unto Moses, Make thyself a serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that whoever is bitten shall look at it, and he 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 copper, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that, when a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked up to the serpent of copper, he remained alive.
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 set forward, and encamped in Oboth.
And the sons of Israel, setting out, made camp at Oboth.
11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at 'Iye-ha'abarim, in the wilderness, which is before Moab, toward the rising of the sun.
Having departed from there, they pitched their tents at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness, which looks out toward Moab, opposite the eastern region.
12 From there they set forward and encamped in the valley of Zered.
And moving from there, they arrived at the Torrent of Zared.
13 From there they set forward, and encamped on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness, and which cometh out of the boundary of the Emorites; for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and between the Emorites.
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 mention is made in the book of the wars of the Lord, of Vaheb in Supha, and of 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 the descent of the brooks, that turneth toward Shebeth-'Ar, and leaneth upon the border 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 from there to the well; this is the well where the Lord said unto Moses, Assemble the people and I will give them water.
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 did Israel sing this song, Come up, O well; sing ye unto it:
Then Israel sang this verse: “Let the well rise up.” They sang:
18 Well, which the princes have dug, which the nobles of the people have hollowed out with the sceptre, with their staves; — and from the wilderness to Mattanah;
“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 Mattanah to Nachaliel; and from Nachaliel to Bamoth;
They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 And from Bamoth to the valley, which is in the fields of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward the desert.
from Bamoth, a valley in the region of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks out opposite the desert.
21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sichon the king of the Emorites, saying,
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying:
22 Let me pass through thy land; we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink the water of a well: by the king's highway will we go along, until we have passed thy border.
“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 But Sichon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border; and Sichon assembled all his people together; and went out against Israel into the wilderness; and he came to Yahaz, and fought 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 smote him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from Arnon unto Yabbok, even unto the children of 'Ammon; for the border of the children of 'Ammon was strong.
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 these cities; and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Emorites, in Cheshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
Therefore, Israel took all his cities and lived in the cities of the Amorite, namely, in Heshbon and its villages.
26 For Cheshbon was the city of Sichon the king of the Emorites; and he had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, up to the 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 said the poets, Come into Cheshbon, let the city of Sichon be built and established.
About this, it is said in the proverb: “Enter into Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be established and built.
28 For a fire is gone out of Cheshbon, a flame from the city of Sichon: it hath consumed 'Ar-Moab, the men of the high places of the 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 thee, Moab! thou art lost, O people of Kemosh: he hath suffered his sons to become fugitives, and his daughters to go into captivity, unto the king of the Emorites, Sichon.
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 We have thrown them down; lost is Cheshbon even unto Dibon, and we have laid waste [all] up to Nophach, which reacheth unto Medeba.
Their yoke has been scattered from Heshbon even to Dibon. They have passed through, wearily, into Nophah, and as far as Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Emorites.
And so Israel lived in the land of the Amorite.
32 And Moses sent to spy out Ya'zer, and they captured the villages thereof, and drove out the Emorites that were there.
And Moses sent some to explore Jazer. These captured its villages and possessed its inhabitants.
33 And they turned and went up by the way to Bashan; and 'Og, the king of Bashan, went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
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 unto Moses, Fear him not; for into thy hand have I delivered him, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do unto him as thou hast done unto Sichon, the king of the Emorites, who dwelt at Cheshbon.
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 they smote him and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left unto him that escaped; and they took possession of his land.
Therefore, they struck him down also, with his sons, and all his people, even to utter destruction, and they possessed his land.
