Numbers 21
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1The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived by the wilderness, heard—for Israel had come by the road of Atharim—and fought Israel, and they took captives from them.
2Israel vowed a vow to the Lord: If You hand this people over into my power, I will devote them and their towns to destruction.
3The Lord heard Israel's voice and handed the Canaanite over into his power. Israel devoted him and his towns to destruction, and they called that place Devotion to Destruction.
4They set out from Mount Hor by the road toward the Red Sea and went around the land of Edom. The people became fainthearted on the journey.
5The people spoke against God and against Moses: Why have you brought us out of Egypt to kill us in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we are disgusted with this empty bread.
6The Lord sent deadly serpents among the people. They bit the people, and many of the sons of Israel died.
7The people came to Moses and said: We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Therefore pray to the Lord, and let Him remove the serpents from us. Moses prayed to the Lord for the people.
8The Lord said to Moses: Make yourself a serpent and put it on a standard. If a serpent bites a person, everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.
9Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a serpent bit a person, that person looked at the bronze serpent and lived.
10The sons of Israel set out and camped at Oboth.
11They set out from Oboth and camped at Achel-gai, on the farther side, in the wilderness opposite Moab toward the sunrise.
12From there they set out and camped in the ravine of Zered.
13From there they set out and camped beyond the Arnon, in the wilderness extending from the Amorite borders. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14Therefore it is said in a book: A war of the Lord set Zoob ablaze, and the torrents of the Arnon,
15and he appointed the torrents for the settlement of Er, and it lies beside the borders of Moab.
16From there they went to the well. This is the well of which the Lord said to Moses: Gather the people, and I will give them water to drink.
17Then Israel sang this song over the well: Lead the singing for it!
18A well: rulers dug it; kings of nations hewed it out in their kingdom, when they exercised dominion. From the well they went to Manthanain.
19From Manthanain they went to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth.
20From Bamoth they went to a valley in the plain of Moab, from the summit of the Hewn Height overlooking the wilderness.
21Moses sent envoys to Sihon king of the Amorites with words of peace, saying:
22We will pass through your land; we will travel by the road. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards or drink water from your well. We will travel the royal road until we have passed through your territory.
23Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people and went out into the wilderness to array himself against Israel. He came to Jahaz and arrayed himself against Israel.
24Israel struck him with sword-slaughter, and they took control of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon, because Jazer is the border of the sons of Ammon.
25Israel took all these towns and settled in all the Amorite towns, in Heshbon and all the towns adjoining it.
26Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had previously fought the king of Moab, and they took all his land from Aroer as far as the Arnon.
27Therefore those who speak in riddles will say: Come to Heshbon, so that Sihon's city may be built and prepared.
28For fire went out from Heshbon, a flame from Sihon's city. It consumed as far as Moab and swallowed the pillars of the Arnon.
29Woe to you, Moab! You are ruined, people of Chemosh. Their sons were handed over to escape, and their daughters as captives to Sihon king of the Amorites.
30Their offspring shall perish, from Heshbon as far as Dibon; and the women kindled still more fire against Moab.
31Israel settled in all the towns of the Amorites.
32Moses sent men to inspect Jazer. They captured it and its villages and drove out the Amorites who lived there.
33They turned and went up by the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan came out to meet them with all his people, for battle at Edrei.
34The Lord said to Moses: Do not fear him, for I have handed him, all his people, and all his land into your hands. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.
35He struck him, his sons, and all his people until none of his were left alive as captives, and they inherited their land.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.