Numbers 21
1 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel had entered by the way of Atharim, —so he made war with Israel, and took some of them captive.
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.
2 Then Israel vowed vow unto Yahweh, and said, —If thou wilt, surely deliver up, this people into my hand, then will I utterly destroy their cities.
So Israel made a solemn promise to the Lord: “If you hand these people over to us, we pledge to completely destroy their towns.”
3 And Yahweh hearkened unto the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanite into his hand, so he utterly destroyed them, and their cities, and called the name of the place Hormah [that is, "Utter Destruction"].
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.
4 Then brake they up from Mount Hor, by way of the Red Sea, to go round the land of Edom, —and the soul of the people became impatient because of the way,
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
5 So then the people spake against God and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the desert? for there is neither bread nor water, and our soul, doth loathe this contemptible bread!
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!”
6 And Yahweh sent among the people the poisonous serpents, and they bit the people, —and much people out of Israel died.
So the Lord sent poisonous snakes to attack them, and many Israelites were bitten and died.
7 Then came the people of Israel unto Moses and said—We have sinned in that we spake against Yahweh and against thee, Pray thou unto Yahweh, that he may take from us the serpent. So Moses prayed for the people.
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.
8 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Make thee a like serpent, and put it upon standard, —and it shall come to pass, that, any one who is bitten, as soon as he seeth it, shall live.
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.”
9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon the standard, —and it came to pass—that if the serpent had bitten any man, as soon as he directed his look unto the serpent of bronze, he lived.
Moses made a snake out of bronze and put it on a pole. Those who looked at it did live.
10 And the sons of Israel brake up, —and encamped in Oboth.
The Israelites left and camped at Oboth.
11 And they brake up from Oboth, —and encamped in Ije-Abarim, in the desert which is over against Moab, towards the rising of the sun.
Then they moved on from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the desert on the east side of Moab.
12 From thence, brake they up, —and encamped in the ravine of Zered.
They left there and camped in the Valley of Zered.
13 From thence, brake they up, and encamped on the other side of Arnon which is in the desert, that cometh forth out of the boundary of the Amorites, —for, Arnon, is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
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.
14 For this cause is it said, in the Book of the Wars of Yahweh, — …Waheb with a hurricane, And the ravines of Arnon;
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,
15 And the bottom of the ravines, that extendeth toward the dwelling of Ar, —And adjoineth to the boundary of Moab,
the canyon slopes that reach the village of Ar that lies on the border with Moab.”
16 And from thence, towards Beer, —the same, is the well whereof Yahweh said unto Moses, Gather together the people, that I may give them water.
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.”
17 Then, sang Israel this song, —Spring thou up, O well! Respond ye thereunto;
Then the Israelites sang this song: “Pour out water, well! Everyone of you sing to it!
18 A well!—princes digged it, Nobles of the people, delved it, With a sceptre, With their staves. And, from the desert, to Mattanah;
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.
19 and from Mattanah, to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel, to Bamoth;
From Mattanah they traveled to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and, from Bamoth of the valley, which is in the field-country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, —which overlooketh Jeshimon.
and from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab where the top of Mount Pisgah looks down on the wastelands.
21 Then sent Israel messengers, unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying:
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the following request:
22 Let me pass through thy land we will not turn aside into field or into vineyard, nor will we drink the water of a well, —by the king’s road, will we go, until we get through thy boundary.
“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.”
23 And Sihon suffered not Israel to pass through his boundary, but Sihon gathered together all his people, and came forth to meet Israel, towards the desert, and entered Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
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.
24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, —and took possession of his land, from Arnon unto Jabbok, unto the sons of Ammon, for strong, was the boundary of the sons of Ammon.
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.
25 So Israel took all these cities, —and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all her villages;
The Israelites conquered all the Amorite towns and took them over, including Heshbon and its surrounding villages.
26 for, as for Heshbon, the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, it was, he, having fought with the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, unto Arnon.
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.
27 For this cause, say the poets—Enter ye Heshbon, —Built and prepared be the city of Sihon;
That's why the old songwriters wrote: “Come to Heshbon and have it be rebuilt; restore the town of Sihon!
28 For, a fire, hath come forth out of Heshbon, A flame, out of the stronghold of Sihon; It hath consumed Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of Arnon.
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.
29 Woe to thee, Moab, Thou art lost, O people of Chemosh, —He hath given up his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto the king of the Amorites, Sihon.
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.
30 Then we shot them—Heshbon is destroyed, as far as Dibon, —Then laid we waste as far as Nophah, A fire reacheth unto Medeba.
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.”
31 So then Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
The Israelites occupied the country of the Amorites.
32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured the villages thereof, —and dispossessed the Amorites that were there.
Moses sent men to explore Jazer. The Israelites conquered its surrounding villages and expelled the Amorites living there.
33 Then turned they, and went up by the way of Bashan, —and Og, king of Bashan, came forth to meet them—he and all his people, to give battle at Edrei.
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.
34 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Do not fear him, for into thy hand, have I delivered him and all his people, and his land, —Therefore shalt thou do unto him, as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who was dwelling in Heshbon.
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.”
35 So then they smote him and his sons and all his people, until there was not left him a remnant, —and took possession of his land.
So they killed Og, his sons, and all his army. Nobody survived, and the Israelites took over his country.
