1And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.2And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.3And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.4And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.10And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.11And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.12From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.13From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.14Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,15And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.16And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.17Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:18The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:19And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:20And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.21And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,22Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king' high way, until we be past thy borders.23And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.24And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.25And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.26For 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 unto Arnon.27Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:28For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.29Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.30We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.31Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.32And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.33And 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 the battle at Edrei.34And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.35So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
Numbers 21
English Standard Version
Arad Destroyed
1When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. (Nu 13:17; Nu 33:40; Jud 1:16)2And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.”[1] (Ge 28:20; Jud 11:30)3And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.[2] (Nu 14:45; De 1:44; Jos 19:4; Jud 1:17)
The Bronze Serpent
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. (Nu 20:22; Nu 33:41; Jud 11:18)5And 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 food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” (Ex 16:3; Ex 17:3; Nu 11:6; Ps 78:19)6Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. (De 8:15; Isa 14:29; Isa 30:6; Jer 8:17; 1Co 10:9)7And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. (Ex 8:8; Ex 8:28; Nu 11:2; 1Sa 12:19; 1Ki 13:6; Ps 78:34; Ac 8:24)8And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”9So Moses made a bronze[3] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (2Ki 18:4; Joh 3:14)
The Song of the Well
10And the people of Israel set out and camped in Oboth. (Nu 33:43)11And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. (Nu 21:10)12From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. (De 2:13)13From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. (Nu 22:36; Jud 11:18)14Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, “Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,15and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab.” (Nu 21:28; De 2:9; De 2:18; De 2:29; Isa 15:1)16And from there they continued to Beer;[4] that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.” (Ex 17:6; Nu 20:8; 2Sa 20:14)17Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—18the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, (Ge 49:10)19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,20and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that looks down on the desert.[5] (Nu 23:28)
King Sihon Defeated
21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, (De 2:26; Jud 11:19)22“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” (Nu 20:17)23But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. (De 2:32; De 29:7; Jud 11:20)24And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. (Ge 32:22; De 2:33; Jos 12:1; Jos 24:8; Ne 9:22; Ps 135:11; Ps 136:19; Am 2:9)25And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.26For 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, as far as the Arnon.27Therefore the ballad singers say, “Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established. (Nu 23:7; Nu 32:37)28For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed[6] the heights of the Arnon. (Nu 21:15; Nu 21:27; Jer 48:45)29Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon. (Nu 21:28; Jud 11:24; 1Ki 11:7; 2Ki 23:13; Jer 48:7)30So we overthrew them; Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as Medeba.”[7] (Nu 32:3; Nu 33:45; Jos 13:17; 1Ch 19:7; Isa 15:2; Jer 48:18)
King Og Defeated
31Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.32And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. (Nu 32:1; Jos 13:25; 2Sa 24:5; Jer 48:32)33Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. (De 1:4; De 3:1; Jos 13:12)34But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given 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.” (Nu 21:24; De 3:2)35So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.