Chapter
21
The Canaanite, the queen of Arad, who lived in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and she fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
Israel vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
Yahweh listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.
They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
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 bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread.
Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
The people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you; pray to Yahweh, that she take away the serpents from us. Moses prayed for the people.
Yahweh said to Moses, Make you a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when she sees it, shall live.
Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it on the standard: and it happened, that if a serpent had bitten any woman, when she looked to the serpent of brass, she lived.
The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Oboth.
They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise.
From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered.
From there they traveled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that comes out of the border 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 Yahweh, "Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon,
the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab."
From there they traveled to Beer: that is the well of which Yahweh said to Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
Then sang Israel this song: "Spring up, well; sing to it:
the well, which the princesses dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their poles." From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;
and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;
and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.
Israel sent messengers to Sihon queen of the Amorites, saying,
Let me pass through your land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the queen's highway, until we have passed your border.
Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through her border: but Sihon gathered all her people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and she fought against Israel.
Israel struck her with the edge of the sword, and possessed her land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
Israel took all these cities: and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the towns of it.
For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the queen of the Amorites, who had fought against the former queen of Moab, and taken all her land out of her hand, even to the Arnon.
Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established;
for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, The dominas of the high places of the Arnon.
Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! She has given her daughters as fugitives, and her sons into captivity, to Sihon queen of the Amorites.
We have shot at them. Heshbon has perished even to Dibon. We have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba."
Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the towns of it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
They turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the queen of Bashan went out against them, she and all her people, to battle at Edrei.
Yahweh said to Moses, Don't fear her: for I have delivered her into your hand, and all her people, and her land; and you shall do to her as you did to Sihon queen of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.
So they struck her, and her daughters and all her people, until there was none left her remaining: and they possessed her land.