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Sihon and Og Defeated

21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites,[a] saying, 22 “Let us go through your land; we will not turn aside into a field or vineyard; we will not drink well water along the way of the king until we have gone through your territory.” 23 But Sihon did not allow Israel to go through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel; he came to the desert, to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel. 24 But Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and they took possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok, until the Ammonites,[b] because the boundary of the Ammonites[c] was strong. 25 Israel took all these cities, and Israel inhabited all the cities of the Amorites,[d] in Heshbon, and in all its environs.[e] 26 Because Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites,[f] who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land from his hand until Arnon. 27 Thus the ones who quote proverbs say,

“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!
    And let the city of Sihon be established.
28 Because fire went out from Heshbon,
    a flame from the city of Sihon;
it consumed Ar of Moab,
    the lords of the[g] high places of Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab!
    You have perished, people of Chemosh.
He has given his sons as fugitives,
    and his daughters into captivity,
to the king of the Amorites,[h] Sihon.
30     We destroyed them;
Heshbon has perished up to Dibon;
    we laid waste up to Nophah,
which reaches[i] Medeba.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:21 Hebrew “Amorite”
  2. Numbers 21:24 Literally “sons of Ammon”
  3. Numbers 21:24 Literally “sons of Ammon”
  4. Numbers 21:25 Hebrew “Amorite”
  5. Numbers 21:25 Hebrew “her daughters;” other modern versions translate “its villages”
  6. Numbers 21:26 Hebrew “Amorite”
  7. Numbers 21:28 Or “the dominant”
  8. Numbers 21:29 Hebrew “Amorite”
  9. Numbers 21:30 Literally “is up to”

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:24 LXX reads was Jazer
  2. Numbers 21:24 Or was at Az
  3. Numbers 21:27 Lit ones who speak proverbs
  4. Numbers 21:27 Or firmly founded
  5. Numbers 21:28 LXX reads Moab, and swallowed
  6. Numbers 21:30 LXX reads Their seed will perish from Heshbon; Vg reads Their yoke has perished from Heshbon
  7. Numbers 21:30 LXX reads Dibon. And their women have further kindled a fire against Moab; Hb uncertain