Bamidbar (Numbers) 21

1When the Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, learned that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, uncertain. Targum and other ancient versions render “the way [taken by] the scouts.” he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive.†

2Then Israel made a vow to GOD and said, “If You deliver this people into our hand, we will proscribe their towns.”†

3GOD heeded Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites; and they and their cities were proscribed. So that place was named Hormah. “to proscribe.”†

4They set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds to skirt the land of Edom. But the people grew restive on the journey,†

5and the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why did you make us leave Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread and no water, and we have come to loathe this miserable food.”

6GOD sent seraph uncertain. serpents against the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died.†

7The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned by speaking against GOD and against you. Intercede with GOD to take away the serpents from us!” And Moses interceded for the people.

8Then GOD said to Moses, “Make a seraph figure and mount it on a standard. And anyone who was bitten who then looks at it shall recover.”†

9Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and if someone was bitten by a serpent, they would look at the copper serpent and recover.

10The Israelites marched on and encamped at Oboth.

11They set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness bordering on Moab to the east.

12From there they set out and encamped at the wadi Zered.

13From there they set out and encamped beyond the Arnon, that is, in the wilderness that extends from the territory of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14Therefore the Book of the Wars of GOD speaks of “…Waheb in Suphah, and the wadis: the Arnon†

15with its tributary wadis, stretched along the settled country of Ar, hugging the territory of Moab…”

16And from there to Beer, which is the well where GOD said to Moses, “Assemble the people that I may give them water.”†

17Then Israel sang this song:Spring up, O well—sing to it—

18The well that the chieftains dug,That the nobles of the people startedWith maces, with their own staffs.And from Midbar to Mattanah,†

19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, at the peak of Pisgah, overlooking the wasteland.†

21Israel now sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22“Let me pass through your country. We will not turn off into fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from wells. We will follow the king’s highway until we have crossed your territory.”

23But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his troops and went out against Israel in the wilderness. He came to Jahaz and engaged Israel in battle.

24But Israel put them to the sword, and took possession of their land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as [Az] of the Ammonites, for Az marked the boundary of the Ammonites.†

25Israel took all those towns. And Israel settled in all the towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies.

26Now Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against a former king of Moab and taken all his land from him as far as the Arnon.

27Therefore the bards would recite: “Come to Heshbon; firmly builtAnd well founded is Sihon’s city.†

28For fire went forth from Heshbon,Flame from Sihon’s city,Consuming Ar of Moab,The lords of Bamoth by the Arnon.†

29Woe to you, O Moab!You are undone, O people of Chemosh!His sons are rendered fugitiveAnd his daughters captiveBy an Amorite king, Sihon.”

30Yet we have cast them down utterly,Heshbon along with Dibon;We have wrought desolation at Nophah,Which is hard by Medeba.†

31So Israel occupied the land of the Amorites.

32Then Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its dependencies and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

33They marched on and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan, with all his troops, came out to Edrei to engage them in battle.

34But GOD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I give him and all his troops and his land into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon.”

35They defeated him and his sons and all his troops, until no remnant was left him; and they took possession of his country.