New King James Version

Numbers 21:9-23 New King James Version (NKJV)

9. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

10. Now the children of Israel moved on and camped in Oboth.

11. And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise.

12. From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered.

13. From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14. Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord:“Waheb in Suphah,The brooks of the Arnon,

15. And the slope of the brooksThat reaches to the dwelling of Ar,And lies on the border of Moab.”

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

17. Then Israel sang this song:“Spring up, O well!All of you sing to it—

18. The well the leaders sank,Dug by the nation’s nobles,By the lawgiver, with their staves.”And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,

19. from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20. and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks down on the wasteland.

21. Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22. “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

23. But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.