Numbers, 21

1. The king of Arad, the Canaanite living in the Negeb, learned that Israel was coming by way of Atharim. He attacked Israel and took some prisoners.

1. When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

2. Israel then made this vow to Yahweh, 'If you deliver this people into my power, I shall curse their towns with destruction.'

2. And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt indeed give this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities."

3. Yahweh heard Israel's words and delivered the Canaanites into their power, and they destroyed them in accordance with their curse. Hence the place was given the name Hormah.

3. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and gave over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities; so the name of the place was called Hormah.

4. They left Mount Hor by the road to the Sea of Suph, to skirt round Edom. On the way the people lost patience.

4. From 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.

5. They spoke against God and against Moses, 'Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert? For there is neither food nor water here; we are sick of this meagre diet.'

5. And 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."

6. At this, God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel.

6. Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

7. The people came and said to Moses, 'We have sinned by speaking against Yahweh and against you. Intercede for us with Yahweh to save us from these serpents.' Moses interceded for the people,

7. And 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.

8. and Yahweh replied, 'Make a fiery serpent and raise it as a standard. Anyone who is bitten and looks at it will survive.'

8. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."

9. Moses then made a serpent out of bronze and raised it as a standard, and anyone who was bitten by a serpent and looked at the bronze serpent survived.

9. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

10. The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.

10. And the people of Israel set out, and encamped in Oboth.

11. Then they left Oboth and camped at Iye-Abarim, in the desert on the eastern border of Moab.

11. And they set out from Oboth, and encamped at I'ye-ab'arim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise.

12. They set out from there and camped in the gorge of the Zered.

12. From there they set out, and encamped in the Valley of Zered.

13. They set out from there and camped on the other side of the Arnon. This gorge in the desert begins in the territory of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the frontier of Moab, between the Moabites and the Amorites.

13. From there they set out, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that extends from the boundary of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14. That is why it says in the Book of the Wars of Yahweh: '. . .Waheb near Suphah and the gorges of the Arnon

14. Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,

15. and the slope of the ravine running down to the site of Ar and over against the frontier of Moab.'

15. and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab."

16. And from there they went to Beer, that being the well in connection with which Yahweh had said to Moses, 'Call the people together and I will give them water.'

16. And from there they continued 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 it was that Israel sang this song: Spring up, well! Sing out for the well,

17. Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! -- Sing to it! --

18. sunk by the princes, dug by the people's leaders with the sceptre, with their staves! -and from the desert to Mattanah,

18. the well which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people delved with the scepter and with their staves."

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

19. and from Mat'tanah to Nahal'iel, and from Nahal'iel to Bamoth,

20. and from Bamoth to the valley that opens into the country of Moab, towards the heights of Pisgah overlooking the desert.

20. and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah which looks down upon the desert.

21. Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites,

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

22. 'I wish to pass through your country. We shall not stray into the fields or vineyards; we shall not drink the water from the wells; we shall keep to the king's highway until we have passed through your territory.'

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."

23. But Sihon would not give Israel leave to pass through his country. He assembled all his people, marched into the desert to meet Israel, and reached Jahaz, where he gave battle to Israel.

23. But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his men together, and went out against Israel to the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

24. Israel defeated him by force of arms and conquered his country from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for Jazer marked the Ammonite frontier.

24. And Israel slew 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 Jazer was the boundary of the Ammonites.

25. Israel took all these towns. Israel occupied all the Amorite towns, Heshbon and all its dependencies,

25. And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.

26. Heshbon being the capital of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had made war on the first king of Moab and captured all his territory as far as the Arnon.

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, as far as the Arnon.

27. Hence the poets say: Come to Heshbon! Let the city of Sihon be rebuilt on firm foundations!

27. Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built, let the city of Sihon be established.

28. For fire has burst from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon, devouring Ar of Moab, engulfing the heights of the Arnon.

28. For fire went forth from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of the heights of the Arnon.

29. Oh, unhappy Moab! People of Chemosh, you are lost! He has resigned his sons as fugitives, and his daughters as prisoners to Sihon king of the Amorites.

29. Woe 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.

30. Their posterity has been destroyed from Heshbon all the way to Dibon, and we have lit a fire all the way from Nophah to Medeba.

30. So their posterity perished from Heshbon, as far as Dibon, and we laid waste until fire spread to Med'eba."

31. Thus Israel occupied the Amorites' territory.

31. Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

32. Moses then sent men to reconnoitre Jazer, and Israel took it and its dependencies, evicting the Amorites who lived there.

32. And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took its villages, and dispossessed the Amorites that were there.

33. They then turned and marched on Bashan. Og king of Bashan and all his people marched to meet them and give battle at Edrei.

33. Then 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 Ed're-i.

34. Yahweh said to Moses, 'Do not be afraid of him, for I have put him, all his people and his country at your mercy. Treat him as you treated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.'

34. But 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 dwelt at Heshbon."

35. So they pressed their attack against him, his sons and all his people until there was no one left alive. And they took possession of his country.

35. So they slew him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was not one survivor left to him; and they possessed his land.