Numbers 21

Discouragement and Judgment Numbers 21:4–6

⁴Verse 4. They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. ⁵Verse 5. 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 disgusting bread.” ⁶Verse 6. Yahweh sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died.

Repentance and Healing Numbers 21:7–9

⁷Verse 7. The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you. Pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people. ⁸Verse 8. Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” ⁹Verse 9. Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of brass, he lived.

Continued Journey and Encampments Numbers 21:10–20

¹⁰Verse 10. The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Oboth. ¹¹Verse 11. They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise. ¹²Verse 12. From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. ¹³Verse 13. 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. ¹⁴Verse 14. Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Yahweh, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, ¹⁵Verse 15. the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.”

¹⁶Verse 16. 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.” ¹⁷Verse 17. Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, well! Sing to it, ¹⁸Verse 18. the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their poles.” From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah; ¹⁹Verse 19. and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; ²⁰Verse 20. and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.

Confrontation with Sihon Numbers 21:21–32

²¹Verse 21. Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ²²Verse 22. “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn away into field or vineyard. We will not drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed your border.” ²³Verse 23. Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border, but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz. He fought against Israel. ²⁴Verse 24. Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.

²⁵Verse 25. Israel took all these cities. Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. ²⁶Verse 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, even to the Arnon. ²⁷Verse 27. Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established; ²⁸Verse 28. for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon.

²⁹Verse 29. Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites. ³⁰Verse 30. We have shot at them. Heshbon has perished even to Dibon. We have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.” ³¹Verse 31. Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. ³²Verse 32. Moses sent to spy out Jazer. They took its villages, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

Defeat of Og, King of Bashan Numbers 21:33–35

³³Verse 33. They turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. ³⁴Verse 34. Yahweh said to Moses, “Don’t fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” ³⁵Verse 35. So they struck him, with his sons and all his people, until there were no survivors; and they possessed his land.