Numbers 21

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The king of Arad, the Canaanite living in the Negeb, learned that Israel was coming by way ofAtharim. He attacked Israel and took some prisoners.	1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that the Israelites were coming along the way of Atharim, he engaged them in battle and took some of them captive.
2 Israel then made this vow to Yahweh, 'If you deliver this people into my power, I shal curse theirtowns with destruction.'	2 Israel then made this vow to the LORD: "If you deliver this people into my hand, I will doom their cities."
3 Yahweh heard Israel's words and delivered the Canaanites into their power, and they destroyed themin accordance with their curse. Hence the place was given the name Hormah.	3 Later, when the LORD heeded Israel's prayer and delivered up the Canaanites, they doomed them and their cities. Hence that place was named Hormah.
4 They left Mount Hor by the road to the Sea of Suph, to skirt round Edom. On the way the people lostpatience.	4 From Mount Hor they set out on the Red Sea road, to by-pass the land of Edom. But with their patience worn out by the journey,
5 They spoke against God and against Moses, 'Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert?For there is neither food nor water here; we are sick of this meagre diet.'	5 the people complained against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!"
6 At this, God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel.	6 In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died.
7 The people came and said to Moses, 'We have sinned by speaking against Yahweh and against you.Intercede for us with Yahweh to save us from these serpents.' Moses interceded for the people,	7 Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people,
8 and Yahweh replied, 'Make a fiery serpent and raise it as a standard. Anyone who is bitten and looksat it wil survive.'	8 and the LORD said to Moses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover."
9 Moses then made a serpent out of bronze and raised it as a standard, and anyone who was bitten bya serpent and looked at the bronze serpent survived.	9 Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered.
10 The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.	10 The Israelites moved on and encamped in Oboth.
11 Then they left Oboth and camped at Iye-Abarim, in the desert on the eastern border of Moab.	11 Setting out from Oboth, they encamped in Iye-abarim in the desert fronting Moab on the east.
12 They set out from there and camped in the gorge of the Zered.	12 Setting out from there, they encamped in the Wadi Zered.
13 They set out from there and camped on the other side of the Arnon. This gorge in the desert beginsin the territory of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the frontier of Moab, between the Moabites and the Amorites.	13 Setting out from there, they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, in the desert that extends from the territory of the Amorites; for the Arnon forms Moab's boundary with the Amorites.
14 That is why it says in the Book of the Wars of Yahweh: '. . .Waheb near Suphah and the gorges ofthe Arnon	14 Hence it is said in the "Book of the Wars of the LORD": "Waheb in Suphah and the wadies,
15 and the slope of the ravine running down to the site of Ar and over against the frontier of Moab.'	15 Arnon and the wadi gorges That reach back toward the site of Ar and slant to the border of Moab."
16 And from there they went to Beer, that being the well in connection with which Yahweh had said toMoses, 'Cal the people together and I wil give them water.'	16 From there they went to Beer, where there was the well of which the LORD said to Moses, "Bring the people together, and I will give them water."
17 Then it was that Israel sang this song: Spring up, wel ! Sing out for the wel ,	17 Then it was that Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!--so sing to it--
18 sunk by the princes, dug by the people's leaders with the sceptre, with their staves! -and from thedesert to Mattanah,	18 The well that the princes sank, that the nobles of the people dug, with their scepters and their staffs." From Beer they went to Mattanah,
19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,	19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth to the val ey that opens into the country of Moab, towards the heights of Pisgahoverlooking the desert.	20 from Bamoth to the cleft in the plateau of Moab at the headland of Pisgah that overlooks Jeshimon.
21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites,	21 Now Israel sent men to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the message,
22 'I wish to pass through your country. We shall not stray into the fields or vineyards; we shall not drinkthe water from the wells; we shal keep to the king's highway until we have passed through your territory.'	22 "Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, nor will we drink any well water, but we will go straight along the royal road until we have passed through your territory."
23 But Sihon would not give Israel leave to pass through his country. He assembled al his people,marched into the desert to meet Israel, and reached Jahaz, where he gave battle to Israel.	23 Sihon, however, would not let Israel pass through his territory, but mustered all his forces and advanced into the desert against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he engaged Israel in battle.
24 Israel defeated him by force of arms and conquered his country from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as faras the Ammonites, for Jazer marked the Ammonite frontier.	24 But Israel defeated him at the point of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and as far as the country of the Ammonites, whose boundary was at Jazer.
25 Israel took all these towns. Israel occupied al the Amorite towns, Heshbon and al its dependencies,	25 Israel seized all the towns here and settled in these towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies.
26 Heshbon being the capital of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had made war on the first king ofMoab and captured al his territory as far as the Arnon.	26 Now Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had seized all his land from Jazer to the Arnon.
27 Hence the poets say: Come to Heshbon! Let the city of Sihon be rebuilt on firm foundations!	27 That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt, let Sihon's capital be firmly constructed.
28 For fire has burst from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon, devouring Ar of Moab, engulfing theheights of the Arnon.	28 For fire went forth from Heshbon and a blaze from the city of Sihon; It consumed the cities of Moab and swallowed up the high places of the Arnon.
29 Oh, unhappy Moab! People of Chemosh, you are lost! He has resigned his sons as fugitives, and hisdaughters as prisoners to Sihon king of the Amorites.	29 Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! He let his sons become fugitives and his daughters be taken captive by the Amorite king Sihon.
30 Their posterity has been destroyed from Heshbon al the way to Dibon, and we have lit a fire all theway from Nophah to Medeba.	30 Their plowland is ruined from Heshbon to Dibon; Ar is laid waste; fires blaze as far as Medeba."
31 Thus Israel occupied the Amorites' territory.	31 When Israel had settled in the land of the Amorites,
32 Moses then sent men to reconnoitre Jazer, and Israel took it and its dependencies, evicting theAmorites who lived there.	32 Moses sent spies to Jazer; Israel then captured it with its dependencies and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
33 They then turned and marched on Bashan. Og king of Bashan and al his people marched to meetthem and give battle at Edrei.	33 Then they turned and went up along the road to Bashan. But Og, king of Bashan, advanced against them with all his people to give battle at Edrei.
34 Yahweh said to Moses, 'Do not be afraid of him, for I have put him, al his people and his country atyour mercy. Treat him as you treated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.'	34 The LORD, however, said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him; for into your hand I will deliver him with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon."
35 So they pressed their attack against him, his sons and al his people until there was no one left alive.And they took possession of his country.	35 So they struck him down with his sons and all his people, until not a survivor was left to him, and they took possession of his land.