21
1 The
Canaanite, the
king of Arad,
who lived in
the South, heard
that Israel came
by the way
of Atharim. He
fought against
Israel, and took
some of them
captive.
2 Israel
vowed a vow
to the LORD,
and said, “If you
will indeed
deliver this
people into my
hand, then I
will utterly
destroy their
cities.”
3 The
LORD listened to
the voice of
Israel, and
delivered up the
Canaanites; and
they utterly
destroyed them and
their cities. The
name of the
place was called
Hormah.
4 They
traveled from
Mount Hor by
the way to
the Red Sea,
to go around
the land of Edom.
The soul of
the people was very
discouraged because
of 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, there is
no water, and
our soul loathes
this disgusting food!”
6 The
LORD sent venomous
snakes among the
people, and they
bit the people.
Many people of
Israel died.
7 The
people came to
Moses, and said,
“We have sinned,
because we have
spoken against the
LORD and against
you. Pray to
the LORD, that
he take away
the serpents from
us.” Moses prayed
for the people.
8 The
LORD said to Moses,
“Make a venomous snake,
and set it
on a pole.
It shall happen
that everyone who
is bitten, when
he sees it,
shall live.”
9 Moses
made a serpent
of bronze, and
set it on
the pole. If
a serpent had
bitten any man,
when he looked
at the serpent
of bronze, he
lived.
10 The
children of Israel
traveled, and
encamped in Oboth.
11 They
traveled from Oboth,
and encamped
at Iyeabarim, in
the wilderness
which is before
Moab, toward the
sunrise.
12 From
there they
traveled, and
encamped in the
valley of Zered.
13 From
there they
traveled, and
encamped 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.
14 Therefore
it is said
in
The Book of
the Wars of
the LORD, “Vaheb in Suphah,
the valleys of
the Arnon,
15 the slope
of the valleys
that incline toward
the dwelling of
Ar, leans on
the border of
Moab.”
16 From
there they traveled
to Beer; that is
the well of which
the LORD said to
Moses, “Gather the
people together,
and I will
give them water.”
17 Then
Israel sang this
song:
“Spring up, well!
Sing to it,
18 the well,
which the princes
dug,
which the nobles
of the people
dug,
with the scepter,
and with
their poles.”
From the
wilderness they traveled
to Mattanah;
19 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.
21 Israel
sent messengers to
Sihon king of
the Amorites, saying,
22 “Let
me pass through
your land. We
will not turn
away into field
or 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.”
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.
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 children
of Ammon; for
the border of
the children of
Ammon was fortified.
25 Israel
took all these
cities. Israel
lived in all
the cities of
the Amorites, in
Heshbon, and in
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.
27 Therefore
those who speak
in proverbs say,
“Come to Heshbon.
Let the city
of Sihon be
built and
established;
28 for
a fire has gone
out of Heshbon,
a flame from
the city of
Sihon.
It has devoured
Ar of Moab,
The lords of
the high places
of the Arnon.
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.
30 We
have shot at
them.
Heshbon has perished even
to Dibon.
We have laid
waste even to
Nophah,
Which reaches to
Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel
lived in the land
of the Amorites.
32 Moses
sent to spy
out Jazer. They
took its villages,
and drove out
the Amorites who
were there.
33 They
turned and went
up by the
way of Bashan.
Og the king
of Bashan went
out against them,
he and all
his people, to
battle at Edrei.
34 The
LORD said to Moses,
“Don’t fear him,
for I have
delivered him into
your hand, with
all his people,
and his land. You
shall do to
him as you
did to Sihon
king of
the Amorites, who
lived at Heshbon.”
35 So
they struck him,
with his sons
and all his
people, until
there were no
survivors; and
they possessed
his land.