Victory over the Canaanites
1 When the Canaanite king of Arad in the southern part of Canaan heard that the Israelites were coming by way of Atharim, he attacked them and captured some of them. 2 Then the Israelites made a vow to the Lord: “If you will let us conquer these people, we will unconditionally dedicate them and their cities to you and will destroy them.” 3 The Lord heard them and helped them conquer the Canaanites. So the Israelites completely destroyed them and their cities, and named the place Hormah.
The Snake Made of Bronze
4 The Israelites left Mount Hor by the road that leads to the Gulf of Aqaba, in order to go around the territory of Edom. But on the way the people lost their patience 5 and spoke against God and Moses. They complained, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We can't stand any more of this miserable food!” 6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many Israelites were bitten and died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Now pray to the Lord to take these snakes away.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the Lord told Moses to make a metal snake and put it on a pole, so that anyone who was bitten could look at it and be healed. 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten would look at the bronze snake and be healed.
From Mount Hor to the Valley of the Moabites
10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth. 11 After leaving that place, they camped at the ruins of Abarim in the wilderness east of Moabite territory. 12 Then they camped in Zered Valley. 13 From there they moved again and camped on the north side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness which extends into Amorite territory. (The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.) 14 That is why The Book of the Lord's Battles speaks of “… the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah, and the valleys; the Arnon River, 15 and the slope of the valleys that extend to the town of Ar and toward the border of Moab.”
16 From there they went on to a place called Wells, where the Lord said to Moses, “Bring the people together, and I will give them water.” 17 At that time the people of Israel sang this song:
“Wells, produce your water;
And we will greet it with a song—
18 The well dug by princes
And by leaders of the people,
Dug with a royal scepter
And with their walking sticks.”
They moved from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 and from there they went on to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of the Moabites, below the top of Mount Pisgah, looking out over the desert.
Victory over King Sihon and King Og
(Deuteronomy 2.26—3.11)21 Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Amorite king Sihon to say: 22 “Let us pass through your land. We and our cattle will not leave the road and go into your fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from your wells; we will stay on the main road until we are out of your territory.” 23 But Sihon would not permit the people of Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered his army and went out to Jahaz in the wilderness and attacked the Israelites. 24 But the Israelites killed many of the enemy in battle and occupied their land from the Arnon River north to the Jabbok, that is, to the Ammonites, because the Ammonite border was strongly defended. 25 So the people of Israel captured all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all the surrounding towns, and settled in them. 26 Heshbon was the capital city of the Amorite king Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had captured all his land as far as the Arnon River. 27 That is why the poets sing,
“Come to Heshbon, to King Sihon's city!
We want to see it rebuilt and restored.
28 Once from this city of Heshbon
Sihon's army went forth like a fire;
It destroyed the city of Ar in Moab
And devoured the hills of the upper Arnon.
29 How terrible for you, people of Moab!
You worshipers of Chemosh are brought to ruin!
Your god let the men become refugees,
And the women became captives of the Amorite king.
30 But now their descendants are destroyed,
All the way from Heshbon to Dibon,
From Nashim to Nophah, near Medeba.”
31 So the people of Israel settled in the territory of the Amorites, 32 and Moses sent men to find the best way to attack the city of Jazer. The Israelites captured it and its surrounding towns and drove out the Amorites living there.
33 Then the Israelites turned and took the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan marched out with his army to attack them at Edrei. 34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him. I will give you victory over him, all his people, and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled at Heshbon.” 35 So the Israelites killed Og, his sons, and all his people, leaving no survivors, and then they occupied his land.
1 When King Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt toward the South, heard tel that Israel came by the way of the spies, then fought hee against Israel, and tooke of them prysoners. 2 So Israel vowed a vowe vnto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliuer and giue this people into mine hand, then I wil vtterly destroy their cities. 3 And the Lord heard the voyce of Israel, and deliuered them the Canaanites: and they vtterly destroied them and their cities, and called ye name of the place Hormah. 4 After, they departed from the mount Hor by the way of the red Sea, to compasse the land of Edom: and the people were sore grieued because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God and against Moses, saying, Wherefore haue ye brought vs out of Egypt, to die in the wildernesse? for here is neither bread nor water, and our soule lotheth this light bread. 6 Wherefore the Lord sent fierie serpents among ye people, which stung the people: so that many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We haue sinned: for wee haue spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from vs: and Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said vnto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it vp for a signe, that as many as are bitten, may looke vpon it, and liue. 9 So Moses made a serpent of brasse, and set it vp for a signe: and when a serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the serpent of brasse, and liued. 10 And ye children of Israel departed thence, and pitched in Oboth. 11 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in lie-abarim, in the wildernesse, which is before Moab on the Eastside. 12 They remoued thence, and pitched vpon the riuer of Zared. 13 Thence they departed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wildernesse, and commeth out of the coasts of the Amorites: (for Arnon is the border of Moab, betweene the Moabites and the Amorites) 14 Wherefore it shall be spoken in the booke of the battels of the Lord, what thing he did in the red sea, and in the riuers of Arnon, 15 And at the streame of the riuers that goeth downe to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth vpon the border of Moab. 16 And from thence they turned to Beer: the same is the well where the Lord said vnto Moses, Assemble the people, and I wil giue them water. 17 Then Israel sang this song, Rise vp well, sing ye vnto it. 18 The princes digged this well, the captaines of the people digged it, euen the lawe giuer, with their staues. And from the wildernesse 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 plaine of Moab, to the top of Pisgah that looketh toward Ieshimon. 21 Then Israel sent messengers vnto Sihon, King of the Amorites, saying, 22 Let me goe through thy land: we wil not turne aside into the fieldes, nor into the vineyardes, neither drinke of the waters of ye welles: we will goe by the kings way, vntill we be past thy countrey. 23 But Sihon gaue Israel no licence to passe through his countrey, but Sihon assembled all his people, and went out against Israel into the wildernesse: and he came to Iahoz, and fought against Israel. 24 But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and conquered his land, from Arnon vnto Iabok, euen vnto ye children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25 And Israel tooke al these cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites in Heshbon and in all the villages thereof. 26 For Heshbon was the citie of Sihon the king of the Amorites, which had fought beforetime against the king of the Moabites, and had taken al his land out of his hand, euen vnto Arnon. 27 Wherefore they that speake in prouerbes, say, Come to Heshbon, let the citie of Sihon bee built and repaired: 28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the citie of Sihon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites, and the lords of Bamoth in Arnon. 29 Wo be to thee, Moab: O people of Chemosh, thou art vndone: he hath suffered his sonnes to be pursued, and his daughters to be in captiuitie to Sihon the king of the Amorites. 30 Their empire also is lost from Heshbon vnto Dibon, and wee haue destroyed them vnto Nophah, which reacheth vnto Medeba. 31 Thus Israel dwelt in the lande of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to searche out Iaazer, and they tooke the townes belonging thereto, and rooted out the Amorites that were there. 33 And they turned and went vp toward Bashan: and Og the King of Bashan came out against them, hee, and all his people, to fight at Edrei. 34 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Feare him not: for I haue deliuered him into thine hand and all his people, and his land: and thou shalt do to him as thou diddest vnto Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 35 They smote him therefore, and his sonnes, and all his people, vntill there was none left him: so they conquered his land.