Numbers 21

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, I will devote their cities to destruction.” The LORD listened to the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction, and the place was called Hormah. They set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. The people grew impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread and no water, and our souls loathe this worthless bread.” The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people. They bit the people, and many people of Israel died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD to take the serpents away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. Everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the pole. Whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the bronze serpent and live. The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth. They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness facing Moab toward the sunrise. From there they set out and camped in the valley of the Zered. From there they set out and camped beyond the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the territory of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD:
“Waheb in Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon, and the slope of the ravines that extends to the settlement of Ar and rests against the border of Moab.” From there they went to Beer. This is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people, and I will give them water.” Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!
Sing to it! The well that the leaders dug, that the nobles of the people hollowed out, with the ruler’s staff, with their staffs.”
From the wilderness they went to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the wasteland. Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into a field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel in the wilderness. He came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 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 Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. Israel took all these cities, and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its villages. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites. He had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon. Therefore the proverb makers say:
“Come to Heshbon!
Let the city of Sihon be built and established. For fire went out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab, the lords of the heights of the Arnon. Woe to you, Moab!
You have perished, O people of Chemosh!
He gave his sons as fugitives and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites. We shot at them;
Heshbon perished as far as Dibon.
We laid waste as far as Nophah, which extends to Medeba.” So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. Moses sent to spy out Jazer. They captured its villages, and he drove out the Amorites who were there. Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og king of Bashan came out to meet them, he and all his people, for battle at Edrei. The LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, together with all his people and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” So they struck him, his sons, and all his people, until they left him no survivor, and they took possession of his land.

Rights and attribution