Bamidbar (Numbers) — 21

Canaanites Defeated at Hurmah

1 The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Yashar'AL was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Yashar'AL and took some of them prisoners. 

2 So Yashar'AL made a vow to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into our hand, then we will utterly destroy their cities.” 

3 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH listened to the voice of Yashar'AL and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hurmah.

The Bronze Serpent

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hur by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Adum; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 

5 And the people spoke against  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and against Musha, Why have you brought us up out of Mitzraym to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 

6 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Yashar'AL died.

7 Therefore the people came to Musha, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and against you; pray to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH that He take away the serpents from us.” So Musha prayed for the people.

8 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 

9 So Musha made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

From Mount Hur to Muab

10 Now the children of Yashar'AL moved on and camped in Ubuth. 

11 And they journeyed from Ubuth and camped at Iya Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Muab, toward the sunrise. 

12 From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zarad. 

13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnun, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amurites; for the Arnun is the border of Muab, between Muab and the Amurites. 

14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH: Wahab in Suphah,The brooks of the Arnun,

15 And the slope of the brooks That reaches to the dwelling of Ar, And lies on the border of Muab.”

16 From there they went to Baar, which is the well where 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH said to Musha, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 

17 Then Yashar'AL sang this song: “Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it

18 The well the leaders sank, Dug by the nation’s nobles, By the lawgiver, with their staves, and from the wilderness they went to Mattanah, 

19 from Mattanah to Nahalial, from Nahalial to Bamuth, 

20 and from Bamuth, in the valley that is in the country of Muab, to the top of Pisgah which looks down on the wasteland.

King Sihun Defeated

21 Then Yashar'AL sent messengers to Sihun king of the Amurites, saying, 

22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 

23 But Sihun would not allow Yashar'AL to pass through his territory. So Sihun gathered all his people together and went out against Yashar'AL in the wilderness, and he came to Yahaz and fought against Yashar'AL. 

24 Then Yashar'AL defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnun to the Yabbuk, as far as the people of Ammun; for the border of the people of Ammun was fortified. 

25 So Yashar'AL took all these cities, and Yashar'AL dwelt in all the cities of the Amurites, in Hashbun and in all its villages. 

26 For Hashbun was the city of Sihun king of the Amurites, who had fought against the former king of Muab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnun. 

27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say: “Come to Hashbun, let it be built; Let the city of Sihun be repaired.

28 “For fire went out from Hashbun, A flame from the city of Sihun; It consumed Ar of Muab, The leader of the heights of the Arnun.

29 Woe to you, Muab! You have perished, O people of Chamush! He has given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, To Sihun king of the Amurites.

30 “But we have shot at them; Hashbun has perished as far as Dibun. Then we laid waste as far as Nuphah, Which reaches to Madaba.”

31 Thus Yashar'AL dwelt in the land of the Amurites. 

32 Then Musha sent to spy out Yazar; and they took its villages and drove out the Amurites who were there.

King Ug Defeated

33 And they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. So Ug king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Adrai. 

34 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihun king of the Amurites, who dwelt at Hashbun.” 

35 So they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of his land.