Numbers 21

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1. 1The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the southern region, heard that Israel was approaching by the way of Atharim. He attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
2. 2So Israel made a vow to the LORD: "If you hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy their cities."
3. 3The LORD listened to Israel's plea and handed the Canaanites over to them. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their cities, so the place was named Hormah.
4. 4They traveled from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was greatly discouraged because of the journey.
5. 5The people spoke against God and Moses, saying, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, no water, and our soul loathes this light bread."
6. 6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people. The snakes bit them, and many Israelites died.
7. 7The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Please pray to the LORD to take these snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8. 8The LORD told Moses, "Make a snake and mount it on a pole. Anyone who has been bitten can look at it and live."
9. 9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten by a snake, they would look at the bronze snake and survive.
10. 10The Israelites moved on and set up camp at Oboth.
11. 11From Oboth they traveled and set up camp at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness east of Moab, toward the sunrise.
12. 12From there they moved on and set up camp in the valley of Zared.
13. 13They moved on again and set up camp on the far side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness that extends from Amorite territory. The Arnon serves as the border between Moab and the Amorites.
14. 14Therefore 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. 15and the slopes of the valleys that stretch toward the settlement of Ar and lean against the border of Moab."
16. 16From there they traveled to Beer — that's the well where the LORD told Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water."
17. 17That's when Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
18. 18The princes dug the well, and the nobles of the people dug it by the direction of the lawgiver, using their staves. From the wilderness, they traveled to Mattanah.
19. 19from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20. 20and from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab, near the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the desert below.
21. 21Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with this request:
22. 22"Let us pass through your land. We won't go through any fields or vineyards, and we won't drink water from your wells. We'll stay on the king's highway until we've crossed your territory."
23. 23But Sihon refused to let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he assembled his entire army and marched out into the wilderness to confront Israel. He reached Jahaz and attacked them.
24. 24Israel defeated him by the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, all the way to the Ammonite border, which was heavily fortified.
25. 25Israel captured all the Amorite cities and settled in them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding villages.
26. 26Heshbon had been the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites. He had previously gone to war against the former king of Moab and seized all his territory as far as the Arnon.
27. 27That's why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon! Let the city of Sihon be rebuilt and restored!
28. 28For fire blazed out from Heshbon, a flame from Sihon's city. It consumed Ar of Moab and devoured the rulers of Arnon's heights.
29. 29Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh: he has given his sons who escaped and his daughters into captivity to Sihon, king of the Amorites.
30. 30We struck them down! Heshbon is ruined all the way to Dibon. We laid waste to everything as far as Nophah, which stretches to Medeba."
31. 31So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.
32. 32Moses sent scouts to Jazer. The Israelites captured its villages and drove out the Amorites living there.
33. 33Then they turned and headed up the road toward Bashan. Og, king of Bashan, marched out with his entire army to fight them at Edrei.
34. 34The LORD told Moses, "Don't be afraid of him. I have handed him over to you — him, all his people, and his land. Do to him exactly what you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon."
35. 35So they struck down Og, his sons, and all his people, leaving no survivors. Then they took possession of his land.