Liber Numeri 21
1 quod cum audisset Chananeus rex Arad qui habitabat ad meridiem venisse scilicet Israhel per exploratorum viam pugnavit contra illum et victor existens duxit ex eo praedam
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 at Israhel voto se Domino obligans ait si tradideris populum istum in manu mea delebo urbes eius
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 exaudivitque Dominus preces Israhel et tradidit Chananeum quem ille interfecit subversis urbibus eius et vocavit nomen loci illius Horma id est 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 profecti sunt autem et de monte Or per viam quae ducit ad mare Rubrum ut circumirent terram Edom et taedere coepit populum itineris ac laboris
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 locutusque contra Deum et Mosen ait cur eduxisti nos de Aegypto ut moreremur in solitudine deest panis non sunt aquae anima nostra iam nausiat super cibo isto levissimo
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 quam ob rem misit Dominus in populum ignitos serpentes ad quorum plagas et mortes plurimorum
For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them.
7 venerunt ad Mosen atque dixerunt peccavimus quia locuti sumus contra Dominum et te ora ut tollat a nobis serpentes oravit Moses pro populo
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 et locutus est Dominus ad eum fac serpentem et pone eum pro signo qui percussus aspexerit eum vivet
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 fecit ergo Moses serpentem aeneum et posuit pro signo quem cum percussi aspicerent sanabantur
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 profectique filii Israhel castrametati sunt in Oboth
And the sons of Israel, setting out, made camp at Oboth.
11 unde egressi fixere tentoria in Hieabarim in solitudine quae respicit Moab contra orientalem plagam
Having departed from there, they pitched their tents at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness, which looks out toward Moab, opposite the eastern region.
12 et inde moventes venerunt ad torrentem Zared
And moving from there, they arrived at the Torrent of Zared.
13 quem relinquentes castrametati sunt contra Arnon quae est in deserto et prominet in finibus Amorrei siquidem Arnon terminus est Moab dividens Moabitas et Amorreos
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 unde dicitur in libro bellorum Domini sicut fecit in mari Rubro sic faciet in torrentibus 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 scopuli torrentium inclinati sunt ut requiescerent in Ar et recumberent in finibus Moabitarum
The stones of the torrents were bent, so that they might rest in Ar and lie back within the borders of the Moabites.
16 ex eo loco apparuit puteus super quo locutus est Dominus ad Mosen congrega populum et dabo ei aquam
Beyond that place appeared a well, about which the Lord said to Moses: “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
17 tunc cecinit Israhel carmen istud ascendat puteus concinebant
Then Israel sang this verse: “Let the well rise up.” They sang:
18 puteus quem foderunt principes et paraverunt duces multitudinis in datore legis et in baculis suis de solitudine Matthana
“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 de Matthana Nahalihel de Nahalihel in Bamoth
They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 de Bamoth vallis est in regione Moab in vertice Phasga et quod respicit contra desertum
from Bamoth, a valley in the region of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks out opposite the desert.
21 misit autem Israhel nuntios ad Seon regem Amorreorum dicens
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying:
22 obsecro ut transire mihi liceat per terram tuam non declinabimus in agros et vineas non bibemus aquas ex puteis via regia gradiemur donec transeamus terminos tuos
“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 qui concedere noluit ut transiret Israhel per fines suos quin potius exercitu congregato egressus est obviam in desertum et venit in Iasa pugnavitque contra eum
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 a quo percussus est in ore gladii et possessa est terra eius ab Arnon usque Iebboc et filios Ammon quia forti praesidio tenebantur termini Ammanitarum
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 tulit ergo Israhel omnes civitates eius et habitavit in urbibus Amorrei in Esebon scilicet et viculis eius
Therefore, Israel took all his cities and lived in the cities of the Amorite, namely, in Heshbon and its villages.
26 urbs Esebon fuit regis Seon Amorrei qui pugnavit contra regem Moab et tulit omnem terram quae dicionis illius fuerat usque 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 idcirco dicitur in proverbio venite in Esebon aedificetur et construatur civitas Seon
About this, it is said in the proverb: “Enter into Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be established and built.
28 ignis egressus est de Esebon flamma de oppido Seon et devoravit Ar Moabitarum et habitatores excelsorum 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 vae tibi Moab peristi popule Chamos dedit filios eius in fugam et filias in captivitatem regi Amorreorum Seon
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 iugum ipsorum disperiit ab Esebon usque Dibon lassi pervenerunt in Nophe et usque Medaba
Their yoke has been scattered from Heshbon even to Dibon. They have passed through, wearily, into Nophah, and as far as Medeba.”
31 habitavit itaque Israhel in terra Amorrei
And so Israel lived in the land of the Amorite.
32 misitque Moses qui explorarent Iazer cuius ceperunt viculos et possederunt habitatores
And Moses sent some to explore Jazer. These captured its villages and possessed its inhabitants.
33 verteruntque se et ascenderunt per viam Basan et occurrit eis Og rex Basan cum omni populo suo pugnaturus in Edrai
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 dixitque Dominus ad Mosen ne timeas eum quia in manu tua tradidi illum et omnem populum ac terram eius faciesque illi sicut fecisti Seon regi Amorreorum habitatori 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 percusserunt igitur et hunc cum filiis suis universumque populum eius usque ad internicionem et possederunt terram illius
Therefore, they struck him down also, with his sons, and all his people, even to utter destruction, and they possessed his land.
