Numbers 21:21-30
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Amorite Kings Defeated
21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon(A) king of the Amorites: 22 “Let us travel through your land. We won’t go into the fields or vineyards. We won’t drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway until we have traveled through your territory.”(B) 23 But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz,(C) he fought against Israel. 24 Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok,(D) but only up to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified.[a][b]
25 Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its villages. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken control of all his land as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the poets[c] say:
Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt;
let the city of Sihon be restored.[d]
28 For fire came out of Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab,
the lords of[e] Arnon’s heights.
29 Woe to you, Moab!
You have been destroyed, people of Chemosh!(E)
He gave up his sons as refugees,
and his daughters into captivity
to Sihon the Amorite king.
30 We threw them down;
Heshbon has been destroyed as far as Dibon.[f](F)
We caused desolation as far as Nophah,
which reaches as far as Medeba.[g](G)
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:24 LXX reads was Jazer
- Numbers 21:24 Or was at Az
- Numbers 21:27 Lit ones who speak proverbs
- Numbers 21:27 Or firmly founded
- Numbers 21:28 LXX reads Moab, and swallowed
- Numbers 21:30 LXX reads Their seed will perish from Heshbon; Vg reads Their yoke has perished from Heshbon
- Numbers 21:30 LXX reads Dibon. And their women have further kindled a fire against Moab; Hb uncertain
Numbers 21:21-30
New Living Translation
Victory over Sihon and Og
21 The Israelites sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message:
22 “Let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road until we have passed through your territory.”
23 But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz. 24 But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified.[a]
25 So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages. 26 Heshbon had been the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had defeated a former Moabite king and seized all his land as far as the Arnon River. 27 Therefore, the ancient poets wrote this about him:
“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt!
Let the city of Sihon be restored.
28 A fire flamed forth from Heshbon,
a blaze from the city of Sihon.
It burned the city of Ar in Moab;
it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights.
29 What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab!
You are finished, O worshipers of Chemosh!
Chemosh has left his sons as refugees,
his daughters as captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
30 We have utterly destroyed them,
from Heshbon to Dibon.
We have completely wiped them out
as far away as Nophah and Medeba.[b]”
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
