17. At that time the people of Israel sang this song:“Wells, produce your water;And we will greet it with a song —
18. The well dug by princesAnd by leaders of the people,Dug with a royal sceptreAnd with their sticks.”They moved from the wilderness to Mattanah,
19. and from there they went on to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20. and from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of the Moabites, below the top of Mount Pisgah, looking out over the desert.
21. Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Amorite king Sihon to say:
22. “Let us pass through your land. We and our cattle will not leave the road and go into your fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from your wells; we will stay on the main road until we are out of your territory.”
23. But Sihon would not permit the people of Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered his army and went out to Jahaz in the wilderness and attacked the Israelites.