Numbers 21:4-9
English Standard Version
The Bronze Serpent
4 From Mount Hor (A)they set out by the way to the Red Sea, (B)to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people (C)spoke against God and against Moses, (D)“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and (E)we loathe this worthless food.” 6 (F)Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and (G)they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 (H)And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. (I)Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So (J)Moses made a bronze[a] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
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- Numbers 21:9 Or copper
Numbers 21:4-9
International Standard Version
The Bronze Serpent
4 After this, they traveled from Mount Hor along the caravan route by way of the Sea of Reeds and went around the land of Edom. But when the people got impatient because it was a long route, 5 the people complained against the Lord and Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” they asked. “There’s no food[a] and water, and we’re tired of this worthless bread.”[b]
6 In response, the Lord sent poisonous[c] serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died. 7 Then the people approached Moses and admitted, “We’ve sinned by speaking against the Lord and you. Pray to the Lord, that he’ll remove[d] the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed in behalf of the people.
8 Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent out of brass and fasten it to a pole. Anyone who has been bitten and who looks at it will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and fastened it to a pole. If a person who had been bitten by a poisonous serpent looked to the serpent,[e] he lived.
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- Numbers 21:5 Lit. bread
- Numbers 21:5 Or light bread; i.e. the manna
- Numbers 21:6 Lit. fiery
- Numbers 21:7 Lit. turn away
- Numbers 21:9 Lit. to it
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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