Numbers 21

21 ¹ When the Canaanite, king of Arad, living in the Negev, heard Israel was coming by the Atharim road, he fought Israel and took some captive. ² Israel made a vow to our Father: 'If you truly give this people into my hand, I will destroy their cities completely.' ³ Our Father heard Israel's voice and handed the Canaanites over; they destroyed them and their cities completely. So the place was named Hormah.

The Bronze Serpent

⁴ They set out from Mount Hor toward the Red Sea to go around Edom's land, but the people grew impatient on the way. ⁵ The people spoke against our Father and against Moses: "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? No bread, no water, and we loathe this wretched food."

⁶ Then our Father sent venomous serpents among the people; they bit the people, and many Israelites died. ⁷ The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned by speaking against our Father and against you. Pray to him to remove the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸ Our Father told Moses, "Make a venomous snake, put it on a pole; anyone bitten who looks at it will live."

⁹ Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole; whenever a serpent bit anyone, they looked at the bronze serpent and lived. ^a a v9 Jesus pointed to this moment as a picture of himself: just as the bronze serpent was lifted up so the dying could look and live, so the Son was lifted up that everyone who looks to him in faith might live (John 3:14-15).

The Journey to Moab

¹⁰ The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth. ¹¹ They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness facing Moab, eastward. ¹² From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. ¹³ From there they moved on and camped beyond the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from Amorite territory; for the Arnon is Moab's border with the Amorites. ¹⁴ So the Book of the Wars of our Father says: "Waheb in Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon," ¹⁵ and the slope of the ravines that bends toward the site of Ar and reaches to the border of Moab."

¹⁶ From there they went to Beer, the well where our Father told Moses, 'Gather the people—I'll give them water.'

¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it! ¹⁸ the well that princes dug, that the nobles of the people dug out with their scepters and staffs." Then from the wilderness they went to Mattanah, ¹⁹ from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab's plain, to Pisgah's peak overlooking the wasteland.

Our Father Gives Sihon Into Their Hand

²¹ Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ²² Let me pass through your land. We won't turn into field or vineyard, or drink well water. We'll go by the King's Highway until we've passed your border.

²³ But Sihon refused to let Israel cross his territory. He gathered all his people, marched into the wilderness against Israel, reached Jahaz, and fought Israel. ²⁴ Israel struck him down with the sword, took his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok — up to the Ammonites, whose border was fortified. ²⁵ Israel captured all these cities and settled in every Amorite city—Heshbon and all its surrounding villages. ²⁶ For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who fought the former king of Moab and captured all his land from him, up to the Arnon. ²⁷ So the poets say: "Come to Heshbon — let it be rebuilt, let Sihon's city be restored." ²⁸ 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. ²⁹ Woe 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. ³⁰ But we struck them down; Heshbon perished as far as Dibon. We laid waste as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba."

³¹ So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. ³² Moses sent men to scout Jazer; they captured its villages and drove out the Amorites there. ³³ Then they turned and went up the Bashan road, and Og king of Bashan came out against them, with all his people, to fight at Edrei.

³⁴ But our Father told Moses, "Don't fear him—I've given him, all his people, and his land into your hand. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon."

³⁵ They struck him, his sons, and all his people, leaving no survivor, and took possession of his land.