Numbers 21:1–9

Arad Destroyed

21When the Canaanite king of Arad,^u who lived in the Negev,^v heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. ²Then Israel made this vow^w to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy^ax their cities.” ³The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites^y over to them. They completely destroyed them^z and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.^ba

The Bronze Snake

⁴They traveled from Mount Hor^b along the route to the Red Sea,^cc to go around Edom.^d But the people grew impatient on the way;^{e 5}they spoke against God^f and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt^g to die in the wilderness?^h There is no bread! There is no water!ⁱ And we detest this miserable food!”^j

⁶Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^k among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^{l 7}The people came to Moses^m and said, “We sinnedⁿ when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord^o will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed^p for the people.

⁸The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;^q anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹So Moses made a bronze snake^r and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.^s