Israel’s Vow at Hormah
1When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2Then Israel made a vow to Yahweh: “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, I will devote their cities to destruction.” 3Yahweh listened to Israel’s voice and gave the Canaanites over to them, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So that place was named Hormah.
The Bronze Serpent
4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way, 5and 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 we are sick of this wretched food!” 6So Yahweh sent venomous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we spoke against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh to take the serpents away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone who is bitten and looks at it will live.” 9So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And whenever a serpent bit someone, if he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
From Oboth to the Arnon
10The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth. 11Then they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab, toward the sunrise. 12From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13From there they set out and camped on the other side of 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. 14That is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of Yahweh: “Waheb in Suphah, and the wadis of the Arnon, 15and the slope of the wadis that turns toward the site of Ar and leans against the border of Moab.” 16From there they went on to Beer, the well of which Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather the people, and I will give them water.” 17Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! — sing to it! — 18the well that princes dug, that the nobles of the people bored out with the scepter and their staffs.” And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, 19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20and from Bamoth to the valley in the plateau of Moab, at the top of Pisgah, which looks down over Jeshimon.
Victory over Sihon
21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22“Let us pass through your land. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, and we will not drink water from any well. We will travel the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He gathered all his people and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24Israel 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 fortified. 25Israel took all these cities and settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its villages. 26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon 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. 27That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon — let it be built, let the city of Sihon be established. 28For 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. 29Woe to you, Moab! You are destroyed, people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives and his daughters captives, to Sihon king of the Amorites. 30We shot them down; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We laid waste as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.” 31So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. 32Then Moses sent men to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
Victory over Og
33Then they turned and went up along the road to Bashan. And Og king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to fight at Edrei. 34But Yahweh said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have given him into your hand, with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35So they struck him down, with his sons and all his people, until no survivor was left to him, and they took possession of his land.
