Numbers 21:4–20

The Bronze Snake

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

6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakesk among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.l 7 The people came to Mosesm and said, “We sinnedn when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lordo will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayedp for the people.

8 The 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.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snaker and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.s

The Journey to Moab

10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.t 11 Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moabu toward the sunrise. 12 From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.v 13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnonw, which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.x 14 That is why the Book of the Warsy of the Lord says:

“… Zahabd in Suphah and the ravines,

the Arnon 15 ande the slopes of the ravines

that lead to the settlement of Arz

and lie along the border of Moab.”

16 From there they continued on to Beer,a the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:b

“Spring up, O well!

Sing about it,

18 about the well that the princes dug,

that the nobles of the people sank—

the nobles with scepters and staffs.”

Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgahc overlooks the wasteland.