< Numbers 21 >
1 When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.
2 Israel vowed a vow to YHWH, and said, "If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities."
So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”
3 YHWH listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.
And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.
4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey
5 The people spoke against God, and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread."
and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
6 YHWH sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.
So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.
7 The people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against YHWH, and against you. Pray to YHWH, that he take away the serpents from us." Moses prayed for the people.
Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.
8 YHWH said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”
9 Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the standard: and it happened, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of bronze, he lived.
So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
10 The children of Israel traveled, and camped in Oboth.
Then the Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.
11 They traveled from Oboth, and camped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise.
They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness opposite Moab to the east.
12 From there they traveled, and camped in the Valley of Zered.
From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.
13 From there they traveled, and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that comes out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends into the Amorite territory. Now the Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.
14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of YHWH, "Waheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon,
Therefore it is stated in the Book of the Wars of the LORD: “Waheb in Suphah and the wadis of the Arnon,
15 the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab."
even the slopes of the wadis that extend to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.”
16 From there they traveled to Beer: that is the well of which YHWH said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water."
From there they went on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people so that I may give them water.”
17 Then sang Israel this song: "Spring up, well; sing to it:
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!
18 the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their staffs." From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;
The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,
19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;
and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.
and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.
21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22 "Let me pass through your land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's highway, until we have passed your border."
“Let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”
23 Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel.
But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.
24 Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was strong.
And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.
25 Israel took all these cities: and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its towns.
Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its villages.
26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon.
Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land as far as the Arnon.
27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established;
That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt; let the city of Sihon be restored.
28 for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, swallowed up the high places of the Arnon.
For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon’s heights.
29 Woe to you, Moab. You are undone, people of Chemosh. He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites.
Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He gave up his sons as refugees, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 And we shot at them. Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon. And we have laid waste as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba."
But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We demolished them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took its towns, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33 They turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei.
34 YHWH said to Moses, "Do not fear him: for I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon."
But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
35 So they struck him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.
So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.