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The Journey to Moab

10 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] went and camped at Oboth. 11 They went from Oboth to Iye Abarim, in the ·desert [wilderness] east of Moab. 12 From there they went and camped in the Zered ·Valley [Wadi]. 13 From there they went and camped across the Arnon, in the ·desert [wilderness] just inside the Amorite country. The Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites. 14 That is why the Book of the Wars of the Lord [C a source now lost] says:

“ … and Waheb in Suphah, and the ·ravines [wadis],
the Arnon, 15     and the slopes of the ·ravines [wadis]
that lead to the settlement of Ar.
    These places are at the border of Moab.”

16 The Israelites went from there to Beer; a well is there where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.”

17 Then the Israelites sang this song:

“·Pour out water [Spring up], well!
    Sing ·about [or to] it.
18 Princes dug this well.
    ·Important men [Leaders of the people] made it.
    With their scepters and poles, they dug it.”

The people went from the ·desert [wilderness] to Mattanah. 19 From Mattanah they went to Nahaliel and on to Bamoth. 20 From Bamoth they went to the valley of Moab where the top of Mount Pisgah looks over the ·desert [wilderness].

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10 Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped at Oboth. 11 They journeyed on from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness facing Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they set out and camped in the [a]Wadi Zered. 13 From there they journeyed on and camped on the other side of [the river] Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the boundary of the Amorites; for [the river] Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 That is why it is said in the [b]Book of the Wars of the Lord:

[c]Waheb in [d]Suphah,
And the [e]wadis of the Arnon [River],
15 
And the slope of the wadis
That stretches toward the site of Ar
And leans to the border of Moab.”

16 From there the Israelites went on to Beer, that is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”(A)

17 Then Israel sang this song,

“Spring up, O well! Sing to it,(B)
18 
The well which the leaders dug,
Which the nobles of the people hollowed out
With the scepter and with their staffs.”

And from the wilderness Israel 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 looks down on the wasteland.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:12 The dry river valley carved by the seasonal Zered River.
  2. Numbers 21:14 A non-canonical work which, unfortunately, has been lost.
  3. Numbers 21:14 Possibly a well that is the source of the Arnon river.
  4. Numbers 21:14 Probably a place in Moab. However some of the rabbis took Suphah to be a reference to the Red Sea (Yam Suph in Hebrew) and maintained that these words imply God performed miracles for Israel in the valleys of Arnon such as He did at the Red Sea.
  5. Numbers 21:14 Dry valleys of seasonal rivers.