¹⁶ The descendants of Hobab^[a] the Kenite, Moses’s father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad. Then they went and settled with the Amalekites.^[b](A)

²⁹ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’s father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.”^{(A) 30} But he said to him, “I will not go, but I will go back to my own land and to my kindred.” ³¹ He said, “Do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. ³² Moreover, if you go with us, whatever good the Lord does for us, the same we will do for you.”^(B)

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites,^[a] that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had encamped as far away as Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.^(A)

⁶ Saul said to the Kenites, “Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.^(A)

³ the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar.

The Bronze Serpent

21 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.^(A)

¹³ In alliance with the Ammonites and the Amalekites, he went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of palms.^(A)

¹⁷ Now Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.

² Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.^(A)

Assyria Refuses to Help Judah

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the king^[a] of Assyria for help.^(A)