1 Kad kānaānietis, Arada zemes ķēniņš, kas dzīvoja Negebā, dzirdēja, ka Israēla tauta nāk pa Ataraima ceļu, tas karoja pret Israēlu un aizveda kādus no viņiem gūstā. 2 Tad Israēls deva solījumu Tam Kungam, sacīdams: "Ja Tu šo tautu tiešām nodosi manā rokā, tad es viņu pilsētas izdeldēšu." 3 Un Tas Kungs paklausīja Israēla balsij, un Viņš nodeva kānaāniešus viņu rīcībā, un viņi tos izdeldēja, gan viņus pašus, gan viņu pilsētas, un nosauca tās vietas vārdu Horma . 4 Un tie aizgāja no Hora kalna pa Niedru jūras ceļu, lai apietu Edoma zemi. Ceļā tauta kļuva nepacietīga, 5 un tauta kurnēja pret Dievu un pret Mozu: "Kāpēc jūs mūs esat izveduši no Ēģiptes? Lai mēs mirtu tuksnesī? Mums nav maizes un nav pat ūdens, un mūsu dvēselēm riebj šī bada maize!" 6 Un Tas Kungs uzsūtīja tautai dzēlīgas čūskas; tās sakoda tautu, un daudzi no Israēla tautas nomira. 7 Tad tauta nāca pie Mozus un sacīja: "Mēs esam ar saviem vārdiem grēkojuši pret To Kungu un pret tevi; lūdz To Kungu, lai Viņš mums atņem tās čūskas!" Tad Mozus aizlūdza par tautu. 8 Un Tas Kungs sacīja uz Mozu: "Darini sev čūskas tēlu un liec to par zīmi; un katrs, kas sakosts un to uzlūkos, tas dzīvos." 9 Un Mozus izveidoja vara čūsku, un viņš to uzcēla par zīmi. Un notika, ja čūska kādu sakoda, tad tas uzlūkoja vara čūsku un palika dzīvs. 10 Tad Israēla bērni no turienes devās ceļā un apmetās pie Obotas. 11 Un no Obotas tie devās ceļā un apmetās Ije Ābarīmā, kas atrodas iepretim Moābai tuksnesī pret saules lēktu. 12 No turienes tie aizgāja un apmetās pie Zāredas strauta. 13 No turienes tie aizgāja un apmetās šaipus Arnonas, kas tuksnesī iztek no amoriešu novadiem; Arnona veido Moāba robežas starp moābiešiem un amoriešiem. 14 Tāpēc Tā Kunga karu grāmatā teikts: "Tas Kungs karoja pret Vahebu viesulī un pret Arnonas upēm, 15 un pie upju krituma, kas nogriežas uz Āru un aizvijas gar Moābas robežām." 16 Un no turienes viņi devās uz Beēru pie tās akas, pie kuras Tas Kungs Mozum sacīja: "Sapulcini tautu, Es tiem došu ūdeni." 17 Toreiz Israēls dziedāja šādu dziesmu: "Verdi, aka, uzdziediet tai! 18 Ak, aka, ko vadoņi rakuši, ko tautas brīvie vīri ar scepteri izrakuši, ar savu karavadoņa zizli, ar savām kūjām!" No tuksneša tie aizgāja uz Matanu 19 un no Matanas uz Nahaliēlu, un no Nahaliēlas uz Bāmotu, 20 un no Bāmotas uz ieleju, kas atrodas Moābas līdzenumā pret Pizgas virsotni, kas noraugās uz tuksnesi. 21 Tad Israēls sūtīja vēstnešus pie Sihona, amoriešu ķēniņa, un sacīja: 22 "Atļauj mums iziet caur tavu zemi! Mēs nenogriezīsimies tavā zemē no ceļa un neiesim ne tīrumos, ne vīna dārzos, mēs arī nedzersim tevis izrakto aku ūdeni; mēs turēsimies uz ķēniņa ceļa, kamēr būsim izgājuši cauri tavām robežām." 23 Bet Sihons neļāva Israēlam iziet caur savas zemes robežām un sapulcināja visu savu kara tautu tuksnesī pret Israēlu; kad Sihons nonāca pie Jahcas, tad tas uzbruka Israēlam. 24 Bet Israēls to sita ar zobena asmeni un ieņēma viņa zemi no Arnonas līdz Jabokai, tas ir, līdz amoniešu robežām, jo pašu amoniešu robežas bija stipri nocietinātas. 25 Tā Israēls tanī vietā ieņēma visas viņu pilsētas, un Israēls apmetās uz dzīvi visās amoriešu pilsētās - Hešbonā un visās tās mazajās pilsētās. 26 Jo Hešbona bija amoriešu ķēniņa Sihona pilsēta, bet viņš bija karojis pret agrāko Moāba ķēniņu un bija tam visu viņa zemi atņēmis līdz pat Arnonai. 27 Tāpēc dziesminieki saka: "Nāciet uz Hešbonu, lai Sihona pilsēta tiek uzcelta! 28 Jo uguns ir izlauzusies no Hešbonas un liesma no Sihona pilsētas; tā ir aprijusi Moāba apgabalu un sadedzinājusi Arnonas virsotņu kungus. 29 Vai tev, Moāb! Jūs, Kemoša tauta, tagad esat nolemti iznīcībai, viņš ir licis būt jūsu dēliem par bēgļiem, bet jūsu meitas viņš ir aizvedis Sihona, amoriešu ķēniņa, gūstā. 30 Un no Hešbonas līdz Dibonai ir iznīkusi Moāba cerības gaisma, un mēs tos esam vajājuši līdz Nopahai, kas sniedzas līdz Medebai." 31 Tā Israēls apmetās amoriešu zemē. 32 Un Mozus izsūtīja izlūkus izpētīt Jāzeru, un tie ieņēma tās ciemus un izdzina amoriešus, kas tur mita. 33 Tad tie nogriezās sāņus un devās kalnup pa Basanas ceļu, bet Ogs, Basanas ķēniņš, un viņa ļaudis izgāja viņiem pretim, lai karotu pie Edrejas. 34 Un Tas Kungs sacīja uz Mozu: "Nebīsties no viņa, jo viņu un visus viņa ļaudis, un visu viņa zemi Es nodošu tavās rokās, un tu darīsi viņam tāpat, kā tu esi darījis Sihonam, amoriešu ķēniņam, kas dzīvoja Hešbonā." 35 Un tie viņu sakāva un viņa dēlus un visu viņa tautu, ka neviens neatlikās, un tie ieņēma viņa zemi.
Israel Defeats the Canaanites at Hormah
1 The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.
2 The Israelites prayed, “Our Lord, if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you.”
3 The Lord answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means “Destroyed Place.”
Moses Makes a Bronze Snake
4 The Israelites had to go around the territory of Edom, so when they left Mount Hor, they headed south toward the Red Sea. But along the way, the people became so impatient 5 that they complained against God and said to Moses, “Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!”
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.
7 Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, “It was wrong of us to insult you and the Lord. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away.”
Moses prayed, 8 and the Lord answered, “Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and be saved from death.”
9 Moses obeyed the Lord. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.
Israel's Journey to Moab
10 As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they camped at Oboth, 11 then at Iye-Abarim in the desert east of Moab, 12 and then in the Zered Gorge. 13 After that, they crossed the Arnon River gorge and camped in the Moabite desert bordering Amorite territory. The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites. 14 A song in The Book of the Lord's Battles mentions the town of Waheb with its creeks in the territory of Suphah. It also mentions the Arnon River, 15 with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar.
16 From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the Lord had said to Moses, “Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink.”
17 That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song:
Let's celebrate!
The well has given us water.
18 With their royal scepters,
our leaders pointed out
where to dig the well.
The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah, 19 then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth. 20 Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgah in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
Israel Defeats King Sihon the Amorite
(Deuteronomy 2.26-37)21 The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:
22 Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we'll stay on the main road.
23 But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz. 24 Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.
25 The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. 26 King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge. 27 That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon:
Come and rebuild Heshbon,
King Sihon's capital city!
28 His armies marched out
like fiery flames,
burning down the town of Ar
and destroying the hills
along the Arnon River.
29 You Moabites are done for!
Your god Chemosh
deserted your people;
they were captured, taken away
by King Sihon the Amorite.
30 We completely defeated Moab.
The towns of Heshbon and Dibon,
of Nophah and Medeba
are ruined and gone.
31 After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory, 32 Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.
Israel Defeats King Og of Bashan
(Deuteronomy 3.1-11)33 The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours.”
35 So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army—there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.
