Numbers 21
Legacy Standard Bible
Destruction of Canaanite Cities
21 Then the Canaanite, the king of (A)Arad, who lived in the [a]Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of [b]Atharim, and he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2 So (B)Israel made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If You will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.” 3 Then Yahweh heard the voice of Israel and gave the Canaanites over; so they devoted them and their cities to destruction. Thus the name of the place was called [c](C)Hormah.
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way to the [d]Red Sea, to (D)go around the land of Edom; and the [e]people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “(E)Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no [f]food and no water, and [g](F)we loathe this miserable food.”
The Bronze Serpent
6 (G)So Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and (H)they bit the people so that (I)many people of Israel died. 7 (J)Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned because we have spoken against Yahweh and against you; (K)pray to Yahweh, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “[h]Make a (L)fiery serpent and set it on a standard; and it will be that everyone who is bitten and looks at it, will live.” 9 And Moses made a (M)bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it happened, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
10 (N)Then the sons of Israel set out and camped in Oboth. 11 They then set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, east toward the sunrise. 12 (O)From there they set out and camped in [i]Wadi Zered. 13 From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, (P)for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of Yahweh,
“Waheb in Suphah,
And the wadis of the Arnon,
15 And the slope of the wadis
That extends to the site of (Q)Ar,
And leans to the border of Moab.”
16 (R)And from there they continued to [j]Beer, that is the well where Yahweh said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”
17 (S)Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
18 The well, which the leaders dug,
Which the nobles of the people carved out,
With the scepter and with their staffs.”
And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah, 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the [k]wasteland.
Sihon and Og Struck Down
21 (T)Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “(U)Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.” 23 (V)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel in the wilderness and came to (W)Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 Then (X)Israel [l]struck him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the (Y)border of the sons of Ammon was [m]Jazer. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and (Z)Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her [n]towns. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites. Now it was he who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore those who use proverbs say,
“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!
So let the city of Sihon be established.
28 (AA)For a fire went forth from Heshbon,
A flame from the town of Sihon;
It devoured (AB)Ar of Moab,
The [o](AC)dominant [p]heights of the Arnon.
29 (AD)Woe to you, O Moab!
You perish, O people of (AE)Chemosh!
(AF)He has given his sons as fugitives,
(AG)And his daughters into captivity,
To an Amorite king, Sihon.
30 But we have cast them down,
Heshbon perishes as far as (AH)Dibon,
And we have made desolate even to Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out (AI)Jazer, and they captured its towns and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
33 (AJ)Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out to meet them, he and all his people for battle at (AK)Edrei. 34 But Yahweh said to Moses, “(AL)Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So (AM)they struck down him and his sons and all his people, until [q]there was no survivor remaining for him; and they possessed his land.
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:1 South country
- Numbers 21:1 Or the spies
- Numbers 21:3 Lit a devoted thing, destruction
- Numbers 21:4 Lit Sea of Reeds
- Numbers 21:4 Lit soul of the people was short
- Numbers 21:5 Lit bread
- Numbers 21:5 Lit our soul loathes
- Numbers 21:8 Lit Make for yourself
- Numbers 21:12 A dry ravine except during rainy season
- Numbers 21:16 Lit a well
- Numbers 21:20 Or Jeshimon
- Numbers 21:24 Lit smote, as in Gr and Lat
- Numbers 21:24 M.T. strong
- Numbers 21:25 Lit daughters
- Numbers 21:28 Lit lords of the
- Numbers 21:28 Or Bamoth
- Numbers 21:35 Lit he had no survivor
Numbers 21
American Standard Version
21 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way [a]of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2 And Israel vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will [b]utterly destroy their cities. 3 And Jehovah hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they [c]utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called [d]Hormah.
4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people [e]was much discouraged [f]because of the way. 5 And 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, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this [g]light bread. 6 And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.
10 And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in Oboth. 11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising. 12 From thence they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13 From thence they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that cometh out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Jehovah,
Vaheb [h]in Suphah,
And the valleys of the Arnon,
15 And the slope of the valleys
That inclineth toward the dwelling of Ar,
And leaneth upon the border of Moab.
16 And from thence they journeyed to [i]Beer: that is the well whereof Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17 Then sang Israel this song:
Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18 The well, which the princes digged,
Which the nobles of the people delved,
[j]With the sceptre, and with their staves.
And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh down upon [k]the desert.
21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed thy border. 23 And 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 came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel. 24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the [l]towns thereof. 26 For 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 the Arnon. 27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say,
Come ye to Heshbon;
Let the city of Sihon be built and established:
28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon,
A flame from the city of Sihon:
It hath devoured Ar of Moab,
The lords of [m]the high places of the Arnon.
29 Woe to thee, Moab!
Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh:
He hath given his sons as fugitives,
And his daughters into captivity,
Unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon,
And we have laid waste even unto Nophah,
Which reacheth unto Medeba.
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the towns thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33 And 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 battle at Edrei. 34 And Jehovah 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, who dwelt at Heshbon. 35 So they smote him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:1 Or, of the spies
- Numbers 21:2 Hebrew devote.
- Numbers 21:3 Hebrew devoted.
- Numbers 21:3 From the same root as herem, a devoted thing
- Numbers 21:4 Or, was impatient. Hebrew was shortened.
- Numbers 21:4 Or, in
- Numbers 21:5 Or, vile
- Numbers 21:14 Or, in storm
- Numbers 21:16 That is, A well.
- Numbers 21:18 Or, By order of the law-giver
- Numbers 21:20 Or, Jeshimon
- Numbers 21:25 Hebrew daughters.
- Numbers 21:28 Or, Bamoth
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