The Bronze Snake

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor^(A) along the route to the Red Sea,^[a](B) to go around Edom.^(C) But the people grew impatient on the way;^{(D) 5} they spoke against God^(E) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt^(F) to die in the wilderness?^(G) There is no bread! There is no water!^(H) And we detest this miserable food!”^(I)

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^(J) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^{(K) 7} The people came to Moses^(L) and said, “We sinned^(M) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord^(N) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed^(O) for the people.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;^(P) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake^(Q) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.^(R)

⁴ He removed^(A) the high places,^(B) smashed the sacred stones^(C) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(D) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[a])

⁵ Hezekiah trusted^(E) in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶ He held fast^(F) to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with him; he was successful^(G) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(H) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.