The Wilderness Years

The rocks of the torrents were bowed down that they might rest in Ar, and lie down in the borders of the Moabites.

When they went from that place, the well appeared whereof the Lord said to Moses: Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

Then Israel sung this song: Let the well spring up. They sung thereto:

The well, which the princes dug, and the chiefs of the people prepared by the direction of the lawgiver, and with their staves. And they marched from the wilderness to Mathana.

From Mathana unto Nahaliel: from Nahaliel unto Bamoth.

From Bamoth, is a valley in the country of Moab, to the top of Phasga, which looked towards the desert.

And Israel sent messengers to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, saying:

I beseech thee that I may have leave to pass through thy land: we will not go aside into the fields or the vineyards, we will not drink waters of the wells, we will go the king's highway, till we be past thy borders.

And he would not grant that Israel should pass by his borders: but rather gathering an army, went forth to meet them in the desert, and came to Jasa and fought against them.

And he was slain by them with the edge of the sword, and they possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jeboc, and to the confines of the children of Ammon: for the borders of the Ammonites, were kept with a strong garrison.

So Israel took all his cities, and dwelt in the cities of the Amorrhite, to wit, in Hesebon, and in the villages thereof.

Hesebon was the city of Sehon the king of the Amorrhites, who fought against the king of Moab: and took all the land, that had been of his dominion, as far as the Arnon.

Therefore it is said in the proverb: Come into Hesebon, let the city of Sehon be built and set up:

A fire is gone out of Hesebon, a flame from the city of Sehon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites, and the inhabitants of the high places of the Arnon.

Woe to thee Moab: thou art undone, O people of Chamos. He hath given his sons to flight, and his daughters into captivity to Sehon the king of the Amorrhites.

Their yoke is perished from Hesebon unto Dibon, they came weary to Nophe, and unto Medaba.

So Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorrhite.

And Moses sent some to take a view of Jazer: and they took the villages of it, and conquered the inhabitants.

And they turned themselves, and went up by the way of Basan, and Og the king of Basan came against them with all his people, to fight in Edrai.

And the Lord said to Moses: Fear him not, for I have delivered him and all his people, and his country into thy hand: and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sehon the king of the Amorrhites, the inhabitant of Hesebon.

So they slew him also with his sons, and all his people, not letting any one escape, and they possessed his land.

And they went forward and encamped in the plains of Moab, over against where Jericho is situate beyond the Jordan.

And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,

And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,

He said to the elders of Madian: So will this people destroy all that dwell in our borders, as the ox is wont to eat the grass to the very roots. Now he was at that time king in Moab.