Numbers 21:21–32

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.