The Song of the Well

10 And the people of Israel set out and (A)camped in Oboth. 11 (B)And they set out from Oboth and (C)camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they set out and camped in (D)the Valley of Zered. 13 From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the (E)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,

“Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,
15 and the slope of the valleys
that extends to the seat of (F)Ar,
and leans to the border of Moab.”

16 And from there they continued (G)to Beer;[a] that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that (H)I may give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
18 the well that the princes made,
that the nobles of the people dug,
with (I)the scepter and with their staffs.”

And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah (J)that looks down on the desert.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:16 Beer means well
  2. Numbers 21:20 Or Jeshimon

10 The Israelites[a] set out and encamped at Oboth. 11 They set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye Abarim in the desert, which was in front of Moab toward the sunrise.[b] 12 From there they set out and encamped at the valley of Zered. 13 From there they set out and encamped beyond Arnon, which is in the desert that goes out from the boundary of the Amorites,[c] because Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.[d] 14 Therefore thus it is said in the scroll of the Wars of Yahweh,

“Waheb in Suphah,
    and the wadis of Arnon,
15 and the slope of the wadis
    that spreads out to the dwelling of Ar
and lies at the boundary of Moab.”

16 From there they went to Beer, which is the water well where Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Gather the people, that I may give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song, “Arise, well water! Sing to it! 18 Well water that the princes dug, that the leaders of the people dug, with a staff and with their rods.” And from the desert 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 territory of Moab, by the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the surface of the wasteland.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Numbers 21:11 Literally “from the east of the sun”
  3. Numbers 21:13 Hebrew “Amorite”
  4. Numbers 21:13 Hebrew “Amorite”