Numbers 21

1And when king Arad the Chanaanite, who dwelt towards the south, had heard this, to wit, that Israel was come by the way of the spies, he fought against them, and overcoming them carried off their spoils.

2But Israel binding himself by vow to the Lord, said: It thou wilt deliver this people into my hand, I will utterly destroy their cities.

3And the Lord heard the prayers of Israel, and delivered up the Chanaanite, and they cut them off and destroyed their cities: and they called the name of that place Horma, that is to say, Anathema.

4And they marched from mount Hor, by the way that leadeth to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom. And the people began to be weary of their journey and labour:

5And speaking against God and Moses, they said: Why didst thou bring us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, nor have we any waters: our soul now loatheth this very light food.

6Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them.

7Upon which they came to Moses, and said: We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.

9Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed.

10And the children of Israel setting forwards camped in Oboth.

11And departing thence they pitched their tents in Jeabarim, in the wilderness, that faceth Moab toward the east.

12And removing from thence, they came to the torrent Zared:

13Which they left and encamped over against Arnon, which is in the desert and standeth out on the borders of the Amorrhite. For Arnon is the border of Moab, dividing the Moabites and the Amorrhites.

14Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord: As he did in the Red Sea, so will he do in the streams of Amen.

15The rocks of the torrents were bowed down that they might rest in Ar, and lie down in the borders of the Moabites.

16When they went from that place, the well appeared whereof the Lord said to Moses: Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

17Then Israel sung this song: Let the well spring up. They sung thereto:

18The well, which the princes dug, and the chiefs of the people prepared by the direction of the lawgiver, and with their staves. And they marched from the wilderness to Mathana.

19From Mathana unto Nahaliel: from Nahaliel unto Bamoth.

20From Bamoth, is a valley in the country of Moab, to the top of Phasga, which looked towards the desert.

21And Israel sent messengers to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, saying:

22I beseech thee that I may have leave to pass through thy land: we will not go aside into the fields or the vineyards, we will not drink waters of the wells, we will go the king’s highway, till we be past thy borders.

23And he would not grant that Israel should pass by his borders: but rather gathering an army, went forth to meet them in the desert, and came to Jasa, and fought against them.

24And he was slain by them with the edge of the sword, and they possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jeboc, and to the confines of the children of Ammon: for the borders of the Ammonites, were kept with a strong garrison.

25So Israel took all his cities, and dwelt in the cities of the Amorrhite, to wit, in Hesebon, and in the villages thereof.

26Hesebon was the city of Sehon the king of the Amorrhites, who fought against the king of Moab: and took all the land, that had been of his dominions, as far as the Arnon.

27Therefore it is said in the proverb: Come into Hesebon, let the city of Sehon be built and set up:

28A fire is gone out of Hesebon, a flame from the city of Sehon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites, and the inhabitants of the high places of the Arnon.

29Woe to thee Moab: thou art undone, O people of Chamos. He hath given his sons to flight, and his daughters into captivity to Sehon the king of the Amorrhites.

30Their yoke is perished from Hesebon unto Dibon, they came weary to Nophe, and unto Medaba.

31So Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorrhite.

32And Moses sent some to take a view of Jazer: and they took the villages of it, and conquered the inhabitants.

33And they turned themselves, and went up by the way of Basan, and Og the king of Basan came against them with all his people, to fight in Edrai.

34And the Lord said to Moses: Fear him not, for I have delivered him and all his people, and his country into thy hand: and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sehon the king of the Amorrhites, the inhabitant of Hesebon.

35So they slew him also with his sons, and all his people, not letting any one escape, and they possessed his land.

1Quod cum audisset Chananæus rex Arad, qui habitabat ad meridiem, venisse scilicet Israël per exploratorum viam, pugnavit contra illum, et victor existens, duxit ex eo prædam.

2At Israël voto se Domino obligans, ait: Si tradideris populum istum in manu mea, delebo urbes ejus.

3Exaudivitque Dominus preces Israël, et tradidit Chananæum, quem ille interfecit subversis urbibus ejus: et vocavit nomen loci illius Horma, id est, anathema.

4Profecti sunt autem et de monte Hor, per viam quæ ducit ad mare Rubrum, ut circumirent terram Edom. Et tædere cœpit populum itineris ac laboris:

5locutusque contra Deum et Moysen, ait: Cur eduxisti nos de Ægypto, ut moreremur in solitudine? deest panis, non sunt aquæ: anima nostra jam nauseat super cibo isto levissimo.

6Quam ob rem misit Dominus in populum ignitos serpentes, ad quorum plagas et mortes plurimorum,

7venerunt ad Moysen, atque dixerunt: Peccavimus, quia locuti sumus contra Dominum et te: ora ut tollat a nobis serpentes. Oravitque Moyses pro populo,

8et locutus est Dominus ad eum: Fac serpentem æneum, et pone eum pro signo: qui percussus aspexerit eum, vivet.

9Fecit ergo Moyses serpentem æneum, et posuit eum pro signo: quem cum percussi aspicerent, sanabantur.

10Profectique filii Israël castrametati sunt in Oboth.

11Unde egressi fixere tentoria in Jeabarim, in solitudine quæ respicit Moab contra orientalem plagam.

12Et inde moventes, venerunt ad torrentem Zared.

13Quem relinquentes castrametati sunt contra Arnon, quæ est in deserto, et prominet in finibus Amorrhæi. Siquidem Arnon terminus est Moab, dividens Moabitas et Amorrhæos.

14Unde dicitur in libro bellorum Domini: [Sicut fecit in mari Rubro, sic faciet in torrentibus Arnon.

15Scopuli torrentium inclinati sunt, ut requiescerent in Ar, et recumberent in finibus Moabitarum.]

16Ex eo loco apparuit puteus, super quo locutus est Dominus ad Moysen: Congrega populum, et dabo ei aquam.

17Tunc cecinit Israël carmen istud: [Ascendat puteus.] Concinebant:

18[Puteus, quem foderunt principes et paraverunt duces multitudinis in datore legis, et in baculis suis.] De solitudine, Matthana.

19De Matthana in Nahaliel: de Nahaliel in Bamoth.

20De Bamoth, vallis est in regione Moab, in vertice Phasga, quod respicit contra desertum.

21Misit autem Israël nuntios ad Sehon regem Amorrhæorum, dicens:

22Obsecro ut transire mihi liceat per terram tuam: non declinabimus in agros et vineas; non bibemus aquas ex puteis: via regia gradiemur, donec transeamus terminos tuos.

23Qui concedere noluit ut transiret Israël per fines suos: quin potius exercitu congregato, egressus est obviam in desertum, et venit in Jasa, pugnavitque contra eum.

24A quo percussus est in ore gladii, et possessa est terra ejus ab Arnon usque Jeboc, et filios Ammon: quia forti præsidio tenebantur termini Ammonitarum.

25Tulit ergo Israël omnes civitates ejus, et habitavit in urbibus Amorrhæi, in Hesebon scilicet, et viculis ejus.

26Urbs Hesebon fuit Sehon regis Amorrhæi, qui pugnavit contra regem Moab: et tulit omnem terram, quæ ditionis illius fuerat usque Arnon.

27Idcirco dicitur in proverbio: [Venite in Hesebon: ædificetur, et construatur civitas Sehon:

28ignis egressus est de Hesebon, flamma de oppido Sehon, et devoravit Ar Moabitarum, et habitatores excelsorum Arnon.

29Væ tibi Moab; peristi popule Chamos. Dedit filios ejus in fugam, et filias in captivitatem regi Amorrhæorum Sehon.

30Jugum ipsorum disperiit ad Hesebon usque Dibon: lassi pervenerunt in Nophe, et usque Medaba.]

31Habitavit itaque Israël in terra Amorrhæi.

32Misitque Moyses qui explorarent Jazer: cujus ceperunt viculos, et possederunt habitatores.

33Verteruntque se, et ascenderunt per viam Basan, et occurrit eis Og, rex Basan, cum omni populo suo, pugnaturus in Edrai.

34Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Ne timeas eum, quia in manu tua tradidi illum, et omnem populum ac terram ejus: faciesque illi sicut fecisti Sehon, regi Amorrhæorum habitatori Hesebon.

35Percusserunt igitur et hunc cum filiis suis, universumque populum ejus usque ad internecionem, et possederunt terram illius.

1And when king Arad the Canaanite, who was living toward the south, had heard this, namely, that Israel had arrived by the way of spies, he fought against them. And proving to be the victor, he led away prey from them.

2But Israel, obliging himself by a vow to the Lord, said: “If you deliver this people into my hand, I will wipe away their cities.”

3And the Lord heard the prayers of Israel, and he delivered the Canaanite, whom they put to death, overthrowing his cities. And they called the name of that place Hormah, that is, Anathema.

4Then they set out from mount Hor, by the way that leads to the Red Sea, to circle around the land of Edom. And the people began to tire of their journey and hardships.

5And speaking against God and Moses, they said: “Why did you lead us away from Egypt, so as to die in the wilderness? Bread is lacking; there are no waters. Our soul is now nauseous over this very light food.”

6For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them.

7And so they went to Moses, and they said: “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray, so that he may take away these serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.

8And the Lord said to him: “Make a bronze serpent, and place it as a sign. Whoever, having been struck, gazes upon it, shall live.”

9Therefore, Moses made a bronze serpent, and he placed it as a sign. When those who had been struck gazed upon it, they were healed.

10And the sons of Israel, setting out, made camp at Oboth.

11Having departed from there, they pitched their tents at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness, which looks out toward Moab, opposite the eastern region.

12And moving from there, they arrived at the Torrent of Zared.

13Having left that place behind, they then made camp opposite Arnon, which is in the desert, and which juts out at the borders of the Amorite. For certainly Arnon is at the limit of Moab, dividing the Moabites and the Amorites.

14About this place, it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord: “As he did at the Red Sea, so will he do at the Torrents of Arnon.”

15The stones of the torrents were bent, so that they might rest in Ar and lie back within the borders of the Moabites.

16Beyond that place appeared a well, about which the Lord said to Moses: “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”

17Then Israel sang this verse: “Let the well rise up.” They sang:

18“The well, the leaders dug it, and the commanders of the multitude prepared it, at the direction of the lawgiver, and with their staffs.”

19They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20from Bamoth, a valley in the region of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks out opposite the desert.

21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying:

22“I beg you to permit me to cross through your land. We will not turn aside into the fields or the vineyards. We will not drink waters from the wells. We will travel by the royal way, until we have passed your borders.”

23And he was not willing to allow Israel to cross through his borders. But instead, gathering an army, he went out to meet them in the desert, and he arrived at Jahaz and fought against them.

24And he was struck down by them with the edge of the sword, and they possessed his land from Arnon, even to Jabbok and the sons of Ammon. For the borders of the Ammonites were held by a strong fortress.

25Therefore, Israel took all his cities and lived in the cities of the Amorite, namely, in Heshbon and its villages.

26Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who fought against the king of Moab. And he took all the land, which had been under his sovereignty, as far as Arnon.

27About this, it is said in the proverb: “Enter into Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be established and built.

28A fire has gone forth from Heshbon, a flame from the town of Sihon, and it has devoured Ar of the Moabites, and the inhabitants of the heights of Arnon.

29Woe to you, Moab! You are perishing, O people of Chemosh. He gave flight to his sons, and he gave the daughters into captivity, to the king of the Amorites, Sihon.

30Their yoke has been scattered from Heshbon even to Dibon. They have passed through, wearily, into Nophah, and as far as Medeba.”

31And so Israel lived in the land of the Amorite.

32And Moses sent some to explore Jazer. These captured its villages and possessed its inhabitants.

33And they turned themselves and ascended, along the way of Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, met them with all his people, to fight at Edrei.

34And the Lord said to Moses: “Do not be afraid of him. For I have delivered him, and all his people, as well as his land, into your hand. And you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, the inhabitant of Heshbon.”

35Therefore, they struck him down also, with his sons, and all his people, even to utter destruction, and they possessed his land.