Israel Defeats the Canaanites at Hormah
1 The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.
2 The Israelites prayed, “Our Lord, if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you.”
3 The Lord answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means “Destroyed Place.”
Moses Makes a Bronze Snake
4 The Israelites had to go around the territory of Edom, so when they left Mount Hor, they headed south toward the Red Sea. But along the way, the people became so impatient 5 that they complained against God and said to Moses, “Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!”
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.
7 Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, “It was wrong of us to insult you and the Lord. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away.”
Moses prayed, 8 and the Lord answered, “Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and be saved from death.”
9 Moses obeyed the Lord. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.
Israel's Journey to Moab
10 As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they camped at Oboth, 11 then at Iye-Abarim in the desert east of Moab, 12 and then in the Zered Gorge. 13 After that, they crossed the Arnon River gorge and camped in the Moabite desert bordering Amorite territory. The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites. 14 A song in The Book of the Lord's Battles mentions the town of Waheb with its creeks in the territory of Suphah. It also mentions the Arnon River, 15 with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar.
16 From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the Lord had said to Moses, “Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink.”
17 That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song:
Let's celebrate!
The well has given us water.
18 With their royal scepters,
our leaders pointed out
where to dig the well.
The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah, 19 then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth. 20 Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgah in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
Israel Defeats King Sihon the Amorite
(Deuteronomy 2.26-37)21 The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:
22 Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we'll stay on the main road.
23 But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz. 24 Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.
25 The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. 26 King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge. 27 That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon:
Come and rebuild Heshbon,
King Sihon's capital city!
28 His armies marched out
like fiery flames,
burning down the town of Ar
and destroying the hills
along the Arnon River.
29 You Moabites are done for!
Your god Chemosh
deserted your people;
they were captured, taken away
by King Sihon the Amorite.
30 We completely defeated Moab.
The towns of Heshbon and Dibon,
of Nophah and Medeba
are ruined and gone.
31 After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory, 32 Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.
Israel Defeats King Og of Bashan
(Deuteronomy 3.1-11)33 The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours.”
35 So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army—there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.
1 When King Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt toward the South, heard tel that Israel came by the way of the spies, then fought hee against Israel, and tooke of them prysoners. 2 So Israel vowed a vowe vnto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliuer and giue this people into mine hand, then I wil vtterly destroy their cities. 3 And the Lord heard the voyce of Israel, and deliuered them the Canaanites: and they vtterly destroied them and their cities, and called ye name of the place Hormah. 4 After, they departed from the mount Hor by the way of the red Sea, to compasse the land of Edom: and the people were sore grieued because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God and against Moses, saying, Wherefore haue ye brought vs out of Egypt, to die in the wildernesse? for here is neither bread nor water, and our soule lotheth this light bread. 6 Wherefore the Lord sent fierie serpents among ye people, which stung the people: so that many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We haue sinned: for wee haue spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from vs: and Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said vnto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it vp for a signe, that as many as are bitten, may looke vpon it, and liue. 9 So Moses made a serpent of brasse, and set it vp for a signe: and when a serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the serpent of brasse, and liued. 10 And ye children of Israel departed thence, and pitched in Oboth. 11 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in lie-abarim, in the wildernesse, which is before Moab on the Eastside. 12 They remoued thence, and pitched vpon the riuer of Zared. 13 Thence they departed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wildernesse, and commeth out of the coasts of the Amorites: (for Arnon is the border of Moab, betweene the Moabites and the Amorites) 14 Wherefore it shall be spoken in the booke of the battels of the Lord, what thing he did in the red sea, and in the riuers of Arnon, 15 And at the streame of the riuers that goeth downe to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth vpon the border of Moab. 16 And from thence they turned to Beer: the same is the well where the Lord said vnto Moses, Assemble the people, and I wil giue them water. 17 Then Israel sang this song, Rise vp well, sing ye vnto it. 18 The princes digged this well, the captaines of the people digged it, euen the lawe giuer, with their staues. And from the wildernesse they came to Mattanah, 19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the plaine of Moab, to the top of Pisgah that looketh toward Ieshimon. 21 Then Israel sent messengers vnto Sihon, King of the Amorites, saying, 22 Let me goe through thy land: we wil not turne aside into the fieldes, nor into the vineyardes, neither drinke of the waters of ye welles: we will goe by the kings way, vntill we be past thy countrey. 23 But Sihon gaue Israel no licence to passe through his countrey, but Sihon assembled all his people, and went out against Israel into the wildernesse: and he came to Iahoz, and fought against Israel. 24 But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and conquered his land, from Arnon vnto Iabok, euen vnto ye children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25 And Israel tooke al these cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites in Heshbon and in all the villages thereof. 26 For Heshbon was the citie of Sihon the king of the Amorites, which had fought beforetime against the king of the Moabites, and had taken al his land out of his hand, euen vnto Arnon. 27 Wherefore they that speake in prouerbes, say, Come to Heshbon, let the citie of Sihon bee built and repaired: 28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the citie of Sihon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites, and the lords of Bamoth in Arnon. 29 Wo be to thee, Moab: O people of Chemosh, thou art vndone: he hath suffered his sonnes to be pursued, and his daughters to be in captiuitie to Sihon the king of the Amorites. 30 Their empire also is lost from Heshbon vnto Dibon, and wee haue destroyed them vnto Nophah, which reacheth vnto Medeba. 31 Thus Israel dwelt in the lande of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to searche out Iaazer, and they tooke the townes belonging thereto, and rooted out the Amorites that were there. 33 And they turned and went vp toward Bashan: and Og the King of Bashan came out against them, hee, and all his people, to fight at Edrei. 34 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Feare him not: for I haue deliuered him into thine hand and all his people, and his land: and thou shalt do to him as thou diddest vnto Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 35 They smote him therefore, and his sonnes, and all his people, vntill there was none left him: so they conquered his land.