Two Victories

21 (A)Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22 (B)Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s road until we have passed through your border.” 23 (C)But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. Instead, Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to (D)Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 Then (E)Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the (F)border of the sons of Ammon was [a]Jazer. 25 Israel took all these cities, and (G)Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all her [b]villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 For that reason those who use proverbs say,

“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!
So let the city of Sihon be established.
28 (H)For a fire spread from Heshbon,
A flame from the town of Sihon;
It devoured (I)Ar of Moab,
The [c](J)dominant [d]heights of the Arnon.
29 (K)Woe to you, Moab!
You are destroyed, people of (L)Chemosh!
(M)He has given his sons as fugitives,
(N)And his daughters into captivity,
To an Amorite king, Sihon.
30 But we have shot them down with arrows,
Heshbon is destroyed as far as (O)Dibon,
Then we have laid waste as far as Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:24 So LXX; MT strong
  2. Numbers 21:25 Lit daughters
  3. Numbers 21:28 Lit lords of the
  4. Numbers 21:28 Or Bamoth

King Sihon Defeated

21 Then (A)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 (B)“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 (C)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and (D)came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 (E)And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the (F)Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the (G)ballad singers say,

“Come to (H)Heshbon, let it be built;
    let the city of Sihon be established.
28 For (I)fire came out from (J)Heshbon,
    flame from the city of Sihon.
It devoured (K)Ar of Moab,
    and swallowed[a] the heights of the Arnon.
29 (L)Woe to you, O Moab!
    You are undone, O people of (M)Chemosh!
He has made his sons fugitives,
    and his daughters captives,
    to an Amorite king, Sihon.
30 So we overthrew them;
    Heshbon, as far as (N)Dibon, perished;
    and we laid waste as far as Nophah;
    fire spread as far as (O)Medeba.”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:28 Septuagint; Hebrew the lords of
  2. Numbers 21:30 Compare Samaritan and Septuagint; Hebrew and we laid waste as far as Nophah, which is as far as Medeba