Numbers 21:1–9

Arad Conquered

1 When the Canaanite, the king of aArad, who lived in the 1Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of 2Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

2 So aIsrael made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will 1utterly destroy their cities.”

3 The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they 1utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called 2aHormah.

4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the 1Red Sea, to ago around the land of Edom; and the 2people became impatient because of the journey.

5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “aWhy have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no 1food and no water, and 2bwe loathe this miserable food.”

The Bronze Serpent

6 aThe Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and bthey bit the people, so that cmany people of Israel died.

7 aSo the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; bintercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “1Make a afiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”

9 And Moses made a abronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.