13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for (A)the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord:

[a]“Waheb in Suphah,
The brooks of the Arnon,
15 And the slope of the brooks
That reaches to the dwelling of (B)Ar,
And lies on the border of Moab.”

16 From there they went (C)to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 17 (D)Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, O well!
All of you sing to it—
18 The well the leaders sank,
Dug by the nation’s nobles,
By the (E)lawgiver, with their staves.”

And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the [b]country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks (F)down on the [c]wasteland.

King Sihon Defeated(G)

21 Then (H)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 (I)“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 (J)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and [d]went out against Israel in the wilderness, (K)and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 Then (L)Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified. 25 So Israel took all these cities, and Israel (M)dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:14 Ancient unknown places; Vg. What He did in the Red Sea
  2. Numbers 21:20 Lit. field
  3. Numbers 21:20 Heb. Jeshimon
  4. Numbers 21:23 attacked

13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon(A), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.(B) 14 That is why the Book of the Wars(C) of the Lord says:

“. . . Zahab[a] in Suphah and the ravines,
    the Arnon 15 and[b] the slopes of the ravines
that lead to the settlement of Ar(D)
    and lie along the border of Moab.”

16 From there they continued on to Beer,(E) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:(F)

“Spring up, O well!
    Sing about it,
18 about the well that the princes dug,
    that the nobles of the people sank—
    the nobles with scepters and staffs.”

Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah(G) overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

21 Israel sent messengers(H) to say to Sihon(I) king of the Amorites:(J)

22 “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.(K)

23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.(L) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,(M) he fought with Israel.(N) 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword(O) and took over his land(P) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,(Q) but only as far as the Ammonites,(R) because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites(S) and occupied them,(T) including Heshbon(U) and all its surrounding settlements. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon(V) king of the Amorites,(W) who had fought against the former king of Moab(X) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:14 Septuagint; Hebrew Waheb
  2. Numbers 21:15 Or “I have been given from Suphah and the ravines / of the Arnon 15 to