1. The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
2. Israel vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
3. The Lord listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.
4. They travelled from Mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Suf, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey.
5. The people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”
6. The Lord sent venomous snakes amongst the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died.
7. The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people.
8. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
9. Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.
10. The children of Israel travelled, and encamped in Oboth.
11. They travelled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, towards the sunrise.
12. From there they travelled, and encamped in the valley of Zered.