Numbers 21:21–35
21 Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihond of the Amorites, 22 “Let us travel through your land. We won’t go into the fields or vineyards. We won’t drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway until we have traveled through your territory.”e 23 But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz,f he fought against Israel. 24 Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok,g but only up to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified.C
25 Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its surrounding villages. 26 Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken control of all his land as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the poetsD say:
Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt;
let the city of Sihon be restored.E
28 For fire came out of Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab,
the citizens of Arnon’s heights.
You have been destroyed, people of Chemosh!h
He gave up his sons as refugees,
and his daughters into captivity
to Sihon the Amorite king.
Heshbon has been destroyed as far as Dibon.i
We caused desolation as far as Nophah,
which reaches as far as Medeba.j
31 So Israel lived in the Amorites’ land. 32 After Moses sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its surrounding villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33 Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashank came out against them with his whole army to do battle at Edrei.l 34 But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”m 35 So they struck him, his sons, and his whole army until no one was left,F and they took possession of his land.n