1. When the Canaanite king of Arad, in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he attacked Israel and took some prisoners.

2. Then Israel made this vow to Yahweh, "If you put these people into my hand, I will consecrate their towns by anathema."

3. Yahweh heard the voice of Israel and delivered the Canaanites into their hands. They were wiped out and their towns were destroyed according to the anathema. Because of this that place was named Hormah.

4. From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey

5. and began to complain against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna."

6. Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died.

7. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away." Moses pleaded for the people

8. and Yahweh said to him, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live."

9. So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.

10. The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth,

11. Then they left Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that borders Moab, toward the sunrise.

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

13. They set out from there and camped beyond the Arnon. This valley in the desert begins in the land of the Amorites and is on the border of Moab, between the Moabites and the Amorites.

14. Because of this, it is written in the book of the Wars of Yahweh: Waheb, by Suphah, and the Valley of Arnon

15. and the slope of the ravine that runs down to Ar along the border of Moab.

16. From there they went on to Beer. This is the well of which Yahweh said to Moses, "Call the people together and I will give them water."

17. Then it was that Israel sang this song, "Let the water spring! Sing out for the well;

18. the well sunk by princes, the well dug by the leaders of the people with their sticks, with their staves." From the desert they went to Mattanah;

19. from Mattanah to Nahaliel; from Nahaliel to Bamoth;

20. from Bamoth to the valley that gives on to the country of Moab, toward the heights of Pisgah which looks down on the desert.

21. Israel sent this message to Sihon, king of the Amorites,

22. "We want to pass through your land. We will not cross any fields or vineyards or drink any water from the wells. We will keep to the king's road until we are out of your land."

23. But Sihon refused to let Israel pass through his land. He gathered all his people, marched into the desert to meet Israel and reached Jahaz. There he gave battle to Israel.

24. But Israel struck him down and conquered his country from the Arnon to the Jabbok, which is the frontier of the Ammorites because this frontier was well-defended.

25. Israel occupied all the cities and the towns of the Amorites, including Heshbon and the towns depending on it.

26. Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and captured from him all this territory as far as the Arnon.

27. Because of this the poets continue singing this song, "Courage, Heshbon, city of Sihon, well built and well founded!

28. A fire came out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab and the Baals of the high places of Moab.

29. Woe to you, Moab! You are lost, people of Chemosh! Your sons have fled; your daughters were taken captive.

30. For Sihon, king of the Amorites, has destroyed Heshbon. The little children and the women were brought as far as Dibon and Nophah, the men were taken as far as Medeba."

31. When the Israelites settled in the country of the Amorites,

32. Moses sent spies to explore Jazer. Israel took this city with all the towns depending on it, and the Amorites who lived there were evicted.

33. After that the Israelites turned and went up to Bashan. Og, king of Bashan, set out with all his people to meet them and gave them battle in Edrei.

34. Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have given him into your hands with all his people and his land. You shall deal with him as you did with Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon."

35. The Israelites killed him, his sons and all his people to the last. And they took possession of his land.





“Feliz a alma que atinge o nível de perfeição que Deus deseja!” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina