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1 The Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled], the king of Arad, who lived in the South, sh'ma ·heard obeyed· that Israel [God prevails] came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel [God prevails], and took some of them captive. 2 Israel [God prevails] vowed a vow to Adonai, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 Adonai sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the voice of Israel [God prevails], and delivered up the Canaanites [Descendants of Humbled]; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.
4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Suf [Reed Sea], to go around the land of Edom [Red] The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against God, and against Moses [Drawn out], “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt [Abode of slavery] to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread.”
(LY:6) 6 Adonai sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel [God prevails] died. 7 The people came to Moses [Drawn out], and said, “We have sinned ·deviated (from the standard goal)·, because we have spoken against Adonai, and against you. Pray to Adonai, that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses [Drawn out] prayed for the people.
8 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Make a fiery serpent, and set it up * on a pole. It shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 Moses [Drawn out] made a serpent † of bronze, and set it ‡on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.
10 The children of Israel [God prevails] traveled, and encamped in Oboth. 11 They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab [From father], toward the sunrise. 12 From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 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 [Descendants of Talkers]: for the Arnon is the border of Moab [From father], between Moab [From father] and the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers]. 14 Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Adonai, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, 15 the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab [From father].”
16 § From there they traveled to Beer; that is the well of which Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
17 Then Israel [God prevails] sang this song:
“Spring up, well! Sing to it,
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; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab [From father], to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert. (RY:4, LY:7) 21 Israel [God prevails] sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field, or into 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.”
23 Sihon would not allow Israel [God prevails] to pass through his border, but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel [God prevails] into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz. He fought against Israel [God prevails]. 24 Israel [God prevails] struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon [Tribal people]; for the border of the children of Ammon [Tribal people] was strong. 25 Israel [God prevails] took all these cities. Israel [God prevails] lived in all the cities of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], who had fought against the former king of Moab [From father], and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon. 27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say,
“Come to Heshbon.
Let the city of Sihon be built and established;
28 for a fire has gone out of Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It has devoured Ar of Moab [From father],
The lords of the high places of the Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab [From father]!
You are undone, people of Chemosh!
He has given his sons as fugitives,
and his daughters into captivity,
to Sihon king of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers].
30 We have shot at them.
Heshbon has perished even to Dibon.
We have laid waste even to Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel [God prevails] lived in the land of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers]. 32 Moses [Drawn out] sent to spy out Jazer. They took its villages, and drove out the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers] who were there. 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.
(LY: Maftir ·Conclusion·) 34 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “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 [Descendants of Talkers], who lived at Heshbon.”
35 So they struck him, with his sons and all his people, until there were no survivors; and they possessed his land.
* 21:8 . Quoted in John 12:34 † 21:9 . Quoted in John 3:14 ‡ 21:9 . MP: The one providing atonement is lifted up on a stake to restore healing to man. (John 3:14 (context 3:14-18), 12:32-34; Acts 3:26) § 21:16 Note: This passage is referred to in notes in (Isaiah 55:1-2).