Numbers 21:1-18 ▼

1 When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

2 Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, |If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.|

3 The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.

4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Lake of Reeds, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

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 light bread.|

6 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.

7 The people came to Moses, and said, |We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD, and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.| Moses prayed for the people.

8 The LORD said to Moses, |Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.|

9 Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the standard: and it happened, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of bronze, he lived.

10 The children of Israel traveled, and camped in Oboth.

11 They traveled from Oboth, and camped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise.

12 From there they traveled, and camped in the Valley of Zered.

13 From there they traveled, and camped 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.

14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, |Waheb 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.|

16 From there they traveled to Beer: that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, |Gather the people together, and I will give them water.|

17 Then sang Israel 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 staffs.| From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;