Numbers 21

The Defeat of Arad

The Defeat of Arad

1And 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 . 2And 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 . 3And 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 .

The Bronze Serpent

4And 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 . 5And 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 . 6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people , and they bit the people ; and much people of Israel died . 7Therefore 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 . 8And 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 . 9And 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 .

The Journey to Moab

10And the children of Israel set forward , and pitched in Oboth . 11And they journeyed from Oboth , and pitched at Ije-abarim , in the wilderness which is before Moab , toward the sunrising . 12From thence they removed , and pitched in the valley of Zared . 13From 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 . 14Wherefore 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 , 15And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar , and lieth upon the border of Moab . 16And 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 . 17Then Israel sang this song , Spring up , O well ; sing ye unto it: 18The 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 : 19And from Mattanah to Nahaliel : and from Nahaliel to Bamoth : 20And from Bamoth in the valley , that is in the country of Moab , to the top of Pisgah , which looketh toward Jeshimon .

The Conquest of the Amorites

21And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites , saying , 22Let 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 . 23And 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 . 24And 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 . 25And Israel took all these cities : and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites , in Heshbon , and in all the villages thereof. 26For 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 . 27Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say , Come into Heshbon , let the city of Sihon be built and prepared : 28For 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 . 29Woe 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 . 30We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon , and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah , which reacheth unto Medeba . 31Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites . 32And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer , and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there. 33And 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 . 34And 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 . 35So they smote him, and his sons , and all his people , until there was none left him alive : and they possessed his land .