Numbers 21:12–35

¹²From there they moved and set up camp at the Zered River. ¹³They moved from there and set up camp on the other side of the Arnon Valley in the desert that extends into Amorite territory. (The Arnon Valley is the border between Moab and the Amorites.) ¹⁴This is how it’s described in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: 

“… Waheb in Suphah and the valleys, 

¹⁵Arnon and the slopes of the valleys 

that go down to the site of Ar 

and lie along the border of Moab.…” 

¹⁶From there they went to Beer ^[Well^[. This is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people, and I will give them water.” ¹⁷Then Israel sang this song about the well: 

“Make your water spring up! 

Sing to the well, 

¹⁸the well dug by princes, 

dug out by the nobles of the people 

with their scepters and staffs.” 

From the desert they went to Mattanah, ¹⁹and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where Mount Pisgah overlooks Jeshimon. 

Sihon and Og Defeated

²¹Then Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon of the Amorites, ²²“Let us go through your country. We won’t go through any of your fields or vineyards or drink any of the water from your wells. We’ll stay on the king’s highway until we’ve passed through your territory.” 

²³Sihon wouldn’t let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his troops and came out into the desert to attack Israel. When Sihon’s troops came to Jahaz, they fought against Israel. ²⁴But Israel defeated them in battle and took possession of their land from the Arnon Valley to the Jabbok River. ⸤They stopped at⸥ the border of the Ammon because it was fortified. ²⁵Israel took all those Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its villages, and lived in them. ²⁶Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had fought the former king of Moab and had taken all his land up to the Arnon Valley. 

²⁷This is why the poets say: 

“Come to Heshbon! Rebuild it! 

Restore Sihon’s city! 

²⁸Fire came out of Heshbon, 

flames from Sihon’s city. 

They destroyed Ar of Moab, 

the rulers of Arnon’s worship sites.^b

²⁹How horrible it is for you, Moab! 

You are destroyed, you people of the god Chemosh. 

Chemosh let his sons become refugees 

and he let his daughters become prisoners 

of King Sihon of the Amorites. 

³⁰But we shot the Amorites full of arrows. 

From Heshbon to Dibon they all died. 

We destroyed everyone and everything 

between Nophah and Medeba.” 

³¹So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. ³²After Moses sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its cities and villages and forced out the Amorites who were there. ³³Then they turned and followed the road that goes to Bashan. King Og of Bashan and all his troops came out to fight the Israelites at Edrei. 

³⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Don’t be afraid of him. I’ll hand him, all his troops, and his land over to you. Do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” ³⁵The Israelites defeated him, his sons, and all his troops, leaving no survivors. And they took possession of his land.