Numbers 21

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And when king Arad the Canaanite, who was living toward the south, had heard this, namely, that Israel had arrived by the way of spies, he fought against them. And proving to be the victor, he led away prey from them.	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 But Israel, obliging himself by a vow to the Lord, said: “If you deliver this people into my hand, I will wipe away their cities.”	2 Israel then made this vow to the LORD: "If you deliver this people into my hand, I will doom their cities."
3 And the Lord heard the prayers of Israel, and he delivered the Canaanite, who they put to death, overthrowing his cities. And they called the name of that place Hormah, that is, Anathema.	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 Then they set out from mount Hor, by the way that leads to the Red Sea, to circle around the land of Edom. And the people began to tire of their journey and hardships.	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 And speaking against God and Moses, they said: “Why did you lead us away from Egypt, so as to die in the wilderness? Bread is lacking; there are no waters. Our soul is now nauseous over this very light food.”	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 For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them.	6 In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died.
7 And so they went to Moses, and they said: “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray, so that he may take away these serpents from us.” And Moses prayed 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 the Lord said to him: “Make a bronze serpent, and place it as a sign. Whoever, having been struck, gazes upon it, shall live.”	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 Therefore, Moses made a bronze serpent, and he placed it as a sign. When those who had been struck gazed upon it, they were healed.	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 And the sons of Israel, setting out, made camp at Oboth.	10 The Israelites moved on and encamped in Oboth.
11 Having departed from there, they pitched their tents at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness, which looks out toward Moab, opposite the eastern region.	11 Setting out from Oboth, they encamped in Iye-abarim in the desert fronting Moab on the east.
12 And moving from there, they arrived at the Torrent of Zared.	12 Setting out from there, they encamped in the Wadi Zered.
13 Having left that place behind, they then made camp opposite Arnon, which is in the desert, and which juts out at the borders of the Amorite. For certainly Arnon is at the limit of Moab, dividing 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 About this place, it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord: “As he did at the Red Sea, so will he do at the Torrents of Arnon.”	14 Hence it is said in the "Book of the Wars of the LORD": "Waheb in Suphah and the wadies,
15 The stones of the torrents were bent, so that they might rest in Ar and lie back within the borders of the Moabites.	15 Arnon and the wadi gorges That reach back toward the site of Ar and slant to the border of Moab."
16 Beyond that place appeared a well, about which the Lord said to Moses: “Gather the people together, and I will 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 Israel sang this verse: “Let the well rise up.” They sang:	17 Then it was that Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!--so sing to it--
18 “The well, the leaders dug it, and the commanders of the multitude prepared it, at the direction of the lawgiver, and with their staffs.”	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 They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,	19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 from Bamoth, a valley in the region of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks out opposite the desert.	20 from Bamoth to the cleft in the plateau of Moab at the headland of Pisgah that overlooks Jeshimon.
21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying:	21 Now Israel sent men to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the message,
22 “I beg you to permit me to cross through your land. We will not turn aside into the fields or the vineyards. We will not drink waters from the wells. We will travel by the royal way, until we have passed your borders.”	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 And he was not willing to allow Israel to cross through his borders. But instead, gathering an army, he went out to meet them in the desert, and he arrived at Jahaz and fought against them.	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 And he was struck down by them with the edge of the sword, and they possessed his land from Arnon, even to Jabbok and the sons of Ammon. For the borders of the Ammonites were held by a strong fortress.	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 Therefore, Israel took all his cities and lived in the cities of the Amorite, namely, in Heshbon and its villages.	25 Israel seized all the towns here and settled in these towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies.
26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who fought against the king of Moab. And he took all the land, which had been under his sovereignty, as far as 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 About this, it is said in the proverb: “Enter into Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be established and built.	27 That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt, let Sihon's capital be firmly constructed.
28 A fire has gone forth from Heshbon, a flame from the town of Sihon, and it has devoured Ar of the Moabites, and the inhabitants of the heights of 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 Woe to you, Moab! You are perishing, O people of Chemosh. He gave flight to his sons, and he gave the daughters into captivity, to the king of the Amorites, Sihon.	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 yoke has been scattered from Heshbon even to Dibon. They have passed through, wearily, into Nophah, and as far as Medeba.”	30 Their plowland is ruined from Heshbon to Dibon; Ar is laid waste; fires blaze as far as Medeba."
31 And so Israel lived in the land of the Amorite.	31 When Israel had settled in the land of the Amorites,
32 And Moses sent some to explore Jazer. These captured its villages and possessed its inhabitants.	32 Moses sent spies to Jazer; Israel then captured it with its dependencies and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
33 And they turned themselves and ascended, along the way of Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, met them with all his people, to fight 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 And the Lord said to Moses: “Do not be afraid of him. For I have delivered him, and all his people, as well as his land, into your hand. And you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, the inhabitant of 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 Therefore, they struck him down also, with his sons, and all his people, even to utter destruction, and they possessed his land.	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.