Numbers 21:1-20 ▼

1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the Atharim caravan route, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

2 Then Israel made this vow in the LORD's presence: |If you give these people into our control, we intend to devote their cities to total destruction.|

3 When the LORD heard what Israel had decided to do, he delivered the Canaanites to them, and Israel exterminated them and their cities. They named the place Hormah.

4 After this, they traveled from Mount Hor along the caravan route by way of the Sea of Reeds and went around the land of Edom. But when the people got impatient because it was a long route,

5 the people complained against the LORD and Moses. |Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?| they asked. |There's no food and water, and we're tired of this worthless bread.|

6 In response, the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died.

7 Then the people approached Moses and admitted, |We've sinned by speaking against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD, that he'll remove the serpents from us.| So Moses prayed in behalf of the people.

8 Then the LORD instructed Moses, |Make a poisonous serpent out of brass and fasten it to a pole. Anyone who has been bitten and who looks at it will live.|

9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and fastened it to a pole. If a person who had been bitten by a poisonous serpent looked to the serpent, he lived.

10 After this, the Israelis traveled and encamped at Oboth.

11 Then they traveled from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is in the vicinity of Moab's eastern border.

12 From there, they traveled and encamped in the valley of Zered.

13 Then they traveled to the other side of Arnon and camped in the wilderness that borders the territory of the Amorites. (Arnon borders Moab between Moab and the Amorites,

14 which is why the Book of the Wars of the LORD reads, |Waheb and Suphah and the wadis of the Arnon,

15 and the slope of the valleys, that extends to the dwelling places of Ar and the borders of Moab.|)

16 From there they traveled to the Well of Beer, where the LORD had instructed Moses, |Gather the people together and I'll give you water.|

17 That's also where Israel sang this song: Rise up, well! Sing to it!

18 It's the well that the leaders dug, the one carved out by the nobles of the people with their scepters and staffs. Then they moved on in the wilderness from there to Mattanah,

19 then from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20 and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where their fields are, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, that looks down toward the open desert.