Numbers 21
1The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2Israel 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.” 3The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah. 4They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Suf, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5The 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, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread.” 6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died. 7The 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. 8The LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it on the standard: and it happened, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of brass, he lived. 10The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Oboth. 11They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise. 12From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13From 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. 14Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the LORD, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, 15the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.” 16From 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.” 17Then sang Israel this song:“Spring up, well; sing to it:
the well, which the princes dug,
which the nobles of the people dug,
which the nobles of the people dug,
with the scepter, and with their poles.”
“Come to Heshbon.
Let the city of Sihon be built and established;
for a fire has gone out of Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It has devoured Ar of Moab,
The lords of the high places of the Arnon.
Woe to you, Moab!
You are undone, people of Chemosh!
You are undone, people of Chemosh!
He has given his sons as fugitives,
and his daughters into captivity,
to Sihon king of the Amorites.
We have shot at them.
Heshbon has perished even to Dibon.
Heshbon has perished even to Dibon.
We have laid waste even to Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.”
Copyright information for
HNV