21 And 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.

And 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.

And 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.

And 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.

And 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.

And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Therefore 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.

And 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.

And 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.

10 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.

11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.

12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.

13 From 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.

14 Wherefore 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,

15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.

16 And 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.

17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

18 The 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:

19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:

20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 Let 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's high way, until we be past thy borders.

23 And 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.

24 And 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.

25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.

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 unto Arnon.

27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:

28 For 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.

29 Woe 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.

30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.

33 And 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.

34 And 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.

35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.

21 3 Israel vanquisheth king Arad. 6 The fiery serpents are sent for the rebellion of the people. 24, 33 Sihon and Og are overcome in battle.

When (A)King Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt toward the South, heard tell that Israel came by the [a]way of the spies, then fought he against Israel, and took of them prisoners.

So Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliver and give this people into mine hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

And the Lord heard the voice of Israel, and delivered them the Canaanites: and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and called the name of the place [b](B)Hormah.

¶ After they departed from the mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to [c]compass the land of Edom: and the people were sore grieved because of the way.

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, saying, Wherefore have ye brought us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness, for here is neither bread nor water, and our soul (C)loatheth this light [d]bread.

(D)Wherefore the Lord sent [e]fiery serpents among the people, which stung the people: so that many of the people of Israel died.

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned: for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us: and Moses prayed for the people.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it up for a [f]sign, that as many as are bitten, may look upon it, and live.

(E)So Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it up for a sign: and when a serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the serpent of brass, and [g]lived.

10 (F)And the children of Israel departed thence, and pitched in Oboth.

11 ¶ And they departed from Oboth, and pitched [h]in Ije Abarim, in the wilderness, which is before Moab on the East side.

12 ¶ They removed thence, and pitched upon the river of Zared.

13 ¶ Thence they departed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness, and cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: (for Arnon is the border of Moab, between the Moabites and the Amorites),

14 Wherefore it shall be spoken in the [i]book of the battles of the Lord, [j]what thing he did in the red sea, and in the rivers of Arnon,

15 And at the stream of the rivers that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.

16 ¶ And from thence they turned to Beer: the same is the well where the Lord said unto Moses, Assemble the people, and I will give them water.

17 ¶ Then Israel sang this song, Rise up [k]well, [l]sing ye unto it.

18 The princes dug this well, the captains of the people dug it, even the [m]lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they came to Mattanah,

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

20 ¶ And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the plain of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

21 ¶ Then Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

22 (G)Let me go through thy land: we will not turn aside into the fields, nor into the vineyards, neither drink of the waters of the wells: we will go by the king’s way, until we be past thy country.

23 (H)But Sihon gave Israel no license to pass through his country, but Sihon assembled all his people, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

24 (I)But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and conquered his land, from Arnon unto [n]Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon, for the border of the children of Ammon was [o]strong.

25 And Israel took all these cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites in Heshbon, and in all the [p]villages thereof.

26 For [q]Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, which had fought beforetime against the king of the Moabites, and had taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.

27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs, say, Come to Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and repaired,

28 For [r]a fire is gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the city of Sihon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites, and the lords of Bamoth in Arnon.

29 Woe be to thee, Moab: O people of [s]Chemosh, thou art undone: he hath suffered his sons to be pursued, and his daughters to be in captivity to Sihon the king of the Amorites.

30 Their [t]empire also is lost from Heshbon unto Dibon, and we have destroyed them unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

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

32 And Moses sent to search out Jazer, and they took the towns belonging thereto, and rooted out the Amorites that were there.

33 (J)And they turned, and went up toward Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he, and all his people, to fight at Edrei.

34 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thine hand, and all his people, and his land: (K)and thou shalt do to him as thou diddest unto Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

35 They smote him therefore, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him: so they conquered his land.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:1 By that way which their spies, that searched the dangers found to be most safe.
  2. Numbers 21:3 Or, destruction.
  3. Numbers 21:4 For they were forbidden to destroy it, Deut. 2:5.
  4. Numbers 21:5 Meaning, Manna, which they thought did not nourish.
  5. Numbers 21:6 For they that were stung therewith, were so inflamed with the heat thereof, that they died.
  6. Numbers 21:8 Or, upon a pole.
  7. Numbers 21:9 Or, recovered.
  8. Numbers 21:11 Or, in the heaps of Abarim, or hills.
  9. Numbers 21:14 Which seemeth to be the book of the Judges, or as some think, a book which is lost.
  10. Numbers 21:14 Or, (How God destroyed) Waheb (the city) with a whirlwind and the valley of Arnon.
  11. Numbers 21:17 Or, spring.
  12. Numbers 21:17 Ye that receive the commodity thereof, give praise for it.
  13. Numbers 21:18 Moses and Aaron heads of the people only smote the rock with the rod or staff, which gave water as a well that were deep digged.
  14. Numbers 21:24 The river.
  15. Numbers 21:24 For the people were tall and strong like giants, Deut. 2:20.
  16. Numbers 21:25 Hebrew, daughters.
  17. Numbers 21:26 For if it had been the Moabites, the Israelites might not have possessed it, Deut. 2:9.
  18. Numbers 21:28 Meaning, war.
  19. Numbers 21:29 Chemosh was the idol of the Moabites, 1 Kings 11:33, who was not able to defend his worshippers, which took the idol for their father.
  20. Numbers 21:30 Hebrew, light.