[1] When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, heard
that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and
took some of them captive. [2] And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and
said, "If thou wilt indeed give this people into my hand, then I will
utterly destroy their cities." [3] And the LORD hearkened to the voice of
Israel, and gave over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and
their cities; so the name of the place was called Hormah. [4] From Mount
Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom;
and the people became impatient on the way. [5] And the people spoke
against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to
die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe
this worthless food." [6] Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the
people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. [7]
And the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken
against the LORD and against you; 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 every one who is
bitten, when he sees it, shall live." [9] So Moses made a bronze serpent,
and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the
bronze serpent and live. [10] And the people of Israel set out, and
encamped in Oboth. [11] And they set out from Oboth, and encamped at
I'ye-ab'arim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise.
[12] From there they set out, and encamped in the Valley of Zered. [13]
From there they set out, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which
is in the wilderness, that extends from the boundary of the Amorites; for
the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. [14]
Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah,
and the valleys of the Arnon, [15] and the slope of the valleys that
extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab." [16] And from
there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the LORD said to
Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water." [17] Then
Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!--Sing to it!-- [18] the well
which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people delved, with the
scepter and with their staves." And from the wilderness they went on to
Mat'tanah, [19] and from Mat'tanah to Nahal'iel, and from Nahal'iel to
Bamoth, [20] and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by
the top of Pisgah which looks down upon the desert. [21] Then Israel sent
messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, [22] "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] But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass
through his territory. He gathered all his men together, and went out
against Israel to the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and fought against
Israel. [24] And Israel slew him with the edge of the sword, and took
possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the
Ammonites; for Jazer was the boundary of the Ammonites. [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 ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built,
let the city of Sihon be established. [28] For fire went forth from
Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of
the heights of the Arnon. [29] Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people
of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to
an Amorite king, Sihon. [30] So their posterity perished from Heshbon, as
far as Dibon, and we laid waste until fire spread to Med'eba." [31] Thus
Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. [32] And Moses sent to spy out
Jazer; and they took its villages, and dispossessed the Amorites that were
there. [33] Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan; and Og the
king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at
Ed're-i. [34] But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him; for I have
given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land; and you shall
do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon."
[35] So they slew him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was
not one survivor left to him; and they possessed his land.