21
1 And Arad the Chananitish king who lived by the wilderness, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharin; and he made war on Israel, and carried off * some of them captives. 2 And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If you will deliver this people into my power, I will devote it and its cities to you. 3 And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered the Chananite into his power; and Israel devoted him and his cities, and they called the name of that place † Anathema. 4 And having departed from mount Or by the way leading to the Red Sea, they compassed the land of Edom, and the people lost courage by the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, Why is this? Have you brought us ought of Egypt to kill us in the wilderness? for there is not bread nor water; and our soul loathes this light bread. 6 And the Lord sent amongst the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against you: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us. 8 And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make you a serpent, and put it on a signal-staff; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a signal-staff: and it came to pass that whenever a serpent bit a man, and he looked on the brazen serpent, he lived. 10 And the children of Israel departed, and encamped in Oboth. 11 And having departed from Oboth, they encamped in Achalgai, on the farther side in the wilderness, which is opposite Moab, towards the east. 12 And thence they departed, and encamped in the valley of Zared. 13 And they departed thence and encamped on the other side of Arnon in the wilderness, the country which extends from the coasts of the ‡ Amorites; for Arnon is the borders of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in a book, A war of the Lord has set on fire Zoob, and the brooks of Arnon. 15 And he has appointed brooks to cause Er to dwell there; and it lies near to the coasts of Moab. 16 And thence they came 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. 17 Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin to sing § of the well; 18 the princes digged it, the kings of the nations in their kingdom, in their lordship sank it in the rock: and they went from the well to Manthanain, 19 and from Manthanain to Naaliel, and from Naaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to ** Janen, which is in the plain of Moab as seen from the top of the quarried rock that looks towards the wilderness. 20 And Moses sent ambassadors to Seon king of the Amorites, with peaceful words, saying, 21 We will pass through your land, we will go by the road; we will not turn aside to the field or to the vineyard. 22 We will not drink water out of your well; we will go by the king's highway, until we have past your boundaries. 23 And Seon did not allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Seon gathered all his people, and went out to set the battle in array against Israel into the wilderness; and he came to Jassa, and set the battle in array against Israel. 24 And Israel struck him with the slaughter of the sword, and they became possessors of his land, from Arnon to Jaboc, as far as the children of Amman, for Jazer is the borders of the children of Amman. 25 And Israel took all their cities, and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Esebon, and in all cities belonging to it. 26 For Esebon is the city of Seon king of the Amorites; and he before fought against the king of Moab, and they took all his land, from Aroer to Arnon. 27 Therefore say they who deal in dark speeches, Come to Esebon, that the city of Seon may be built and prepared. 28 For a fire has gone forth from Esebon, a flame from the city of Seon, and has consumed as far as Moab, and devoured the pillars of Arnon. 29 Woe to you, Moab; you are lost, you people of Chamos: their sons are sold for preservation, and their daughters are captives to Seon king of the Amorites. 30 And their seed shall perish from Esebon to Daebon; and their women have yet farther kindled a fire against Moab. 31 And Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took it, and its villages, and cast out the Amorite that lived there. 33 And having returned, they went up the road that leads to Basan; and Og the king of Basan went forth to meet them, and all his people to war to Edrain. 34 And the Lord said to Moses, Fear him not; for I have delivered him and all his people, and all his land, into your hands; and you shall do to him as you did to Seon king of the Amorites, who lived in Esebon. 35 And he struck him and his sons, and all his people, until he left none of his to be taken alive; and they inherited his land.
* 21:1 Gr. a captivity of them. † 21:3 Gr. devoted thing. ‡ 21:13 Gr. Amorite § 21:17 Gr. of the well for it ** 21:19 Or, Jané but the reading is uncertain.