The Wilderness Years

And the spring of the brooks, Which turned aside to the dwelling of Ar, And hath leaned to the border of Moab.'

And from thence they journeyed to Beer; it is the well concerning which Jehovah said to Moses, `Gather the people, and I give to them--water.'

Then singeth Israel this song, concerning the well--they have answered to it:

`A well--digged it have princes, Prepared it have nobles of the people, With the lawgiver, with their staves.' And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah,

and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

and from Bamoth in the valley which is in the field of Moab to the top of Pisgah, which hath looked on the front of the wilderness.

And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorite, saying,

`Let me pass through thy land, we do not turn aside into a field, or into a vineyard, we do not drink waters of a well; in the king's way we go, till that we pass over thy border.'

And Sihon hath not suffered Israel to pass through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and cometh out to meet Israel into the wilderness, and cometh in to Jahaz, and fighteth against Israel.

And Israel smiteth him by the mouth of the sword, and possesseth his land from Arnon unto Jabbok--unto the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon is strong.

And Israel taketh all these cities, and Israel dwelleth in all the cities of the Amorite, in Heshbon, and in all its villages;

for Heshbon is a city of Sihon king of the Amorite, and he hath fought against the former king of Moab, and taketh all his land out of his hand, unto Arnon;

therefore those using similes say--`Enter ye Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and ready,

For fire hath gone out from Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon, It hath consumed Ar of Moab, Owners of the high places of Arnon.

Woe to thee, O Moab, Thou hast perished, O people of Chemosh, He hath given his sons who escape--Also his daughters--Into captivity, to a king of the Amorite--Sihon!

And we shoot them, Perished hath Heshbon unto Dibon, And we make desolate unto Nophah, Which is unto Medeba.'

And Israel dwelleth in the land of the Amorite,

and Moses sendeth to spy out Jaazer, and they capture its villages, and dispossess the Amorite who is there,

and turn and go up the way of Bashan, and Og king of Bashan cometh out to meet them, he and all his people, to battle, at Edrei.

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Fear him not, for into thy hand I have given him, and all his people, and his land, and thou hast done to him as thou hast done to Sihon king of the Amorite, who is dwelling in Heshbon.'

And they smite him, and his sons, and all his people, until he hath not left to him a remnant, and they possess his land.

And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, by Jericho.

And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,

and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it is numerous; and Moab is vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel,

and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, `Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab at that time,