Moses laver en kobberslange
1Da kongen af Arad i Negev hørte, at israelitterne kom op ad vejen mod Atarim, samlede han sin hær og angreb dem, og det lykkedes ham at tage en del af dem til fange. 2Da lovede Israels folk højt og helligt Herren, at hvis han ville hjælpe dem med at besejre kongen af Arad og hans hær, ville de totalt udslette alle de kana’anæiske byer i området uden at tage noget bytte til sig selv. 3Herren hørte deres bøn og gav dem sejr over kana’anæerne, så alle byerne og deres indbyggere blev udslettet. Stedet er siden kendt under navnet Horma.21,3 Det hebraiske ord betyder „udslettelse” og henviser til noget, som er overgivet til Herrens dom.
4Derfra vendte israelitterne tilbage til Hors bjerg, hvorefter de fortsatte ad vejen mod Det Røde Hav i en bue uden om Edom. Men undervejs blev de utålmodige, 5og de begyndte atter at kritisere både Gud og Moses. „Hvorfor førte du os ud af Egypten?” klagede de. „Var det for at lade os dø her i ørkenen? Her er jo hverken vand eller mad—og vi er trætte af den evindelige manna.”
6Da sendte Herren giftslanger imod dem, og mange blev bidt og døde.
7Nu kom folket til Moses og sagde: „Vi har syndet ved at gøre oprør mod dig og Herren. Bed Herren om at fjerne slangerne fra os.” Da gik Moses i forbøn for folket, 8og Herren sagde Moses: „Lav en slange af kobber21,8 Eller: „bronze”. Hebraisk brugte det samme ord for kobber og bronze. og hæng den op på en stang—så skal alle, som ser hen på den, leve, selvom de er blevet bidt af giftslangerne.”
9Så lavede Moses en kobberslange og satte den op på en stang. Og alle, som så hen på den, når de var blevet bidt af en slange, reddede livet.
Rejsen fortsætter uden om Edom gennem Moab
10Derefter rejste Israels folk videre og slog lejr ved Obot. 11Fra Obot tog de til Ijje-ha-Abarim i ørkenen umiddelbart øst for Moab, 12og videre til Zereddalen, hvor de igen slog lejr. 13Fra Zereddalen rejste de videre mod nord til det øde område på den anden side af Arnonfloden ved grænsen til amoritternes land. Arnonfloden danner grænse mellem moabitterne og amoritterne. 14„Bogen om Herrens krige” nævner byen Vaheb med dens bække i Sufaområdet i Arnonflodens kløft, 15som strækker sig langs grænsen til Moab helt til byen Ar.
16Derfra rejste israelitterne til Be’er.21,16 Det betyder: „brønd”. Det var ved dette vandsted, at Herren sagde til Moses: „Kald folket sammen, så vil jeg give dem vand.” 17-18Episoden står beskrevet i følgende sang:
„Du ældgamle brønd, hvor kilden fremsprang,
vi viser vor glæde ved at synge en sang.
Denne brønd lod stormænd grave,
fyrster med scepter og herskerstave.”
Så forlod de ørkenen og fortsatte gennem Mattana, 19Nahaliel og Bamot 20og videre gennem dalen i Moabs højland, hvorfra man kan se ørkenen og Pisgas bjergtinder længere borte.
Israelitterne besejrer kong Sihon og Kong Og
21Da sendte Israel følgende budskab til amoritterkongen Sihon: 22„Giv os tilladelse til at rejse igennem dit land. Vi lover, at vi ikke vil nedtrampe jeres marker og vingårde eller drikke jeres vand, men holde os på Kongevejen, så længe vi er i jeres land.”
23Men kong Sihon gav dem ikke lov. I stedet samlede han sin hær og rykkede ud mod israelitterne i ørkenen. Ved Jahatz mødtes de to hære, 24og Israel huggede amoritterne ned. Derefter besatte de området fra Arnonfloden i syd til Jabbokfloden mod nord og ud til ammonitternes område mod øst, men ikke længere, for ammonitternes grænse var stærkt befæstet.
25-26Israelitterne indtog således amoritternes byer, og de slog sig ned i disse byer, også i Heshbon, kong Sihons residensby, og i området op til Arnonfloden, der tidligere havde tilhørt moabitterne, men som kong Sihon havde erobret. 27-30Den gamle digter udtrykker det sådan:
„Kom til Heshbon, Sihons by
som nu bygges op på ny.
Ild fór ud fra Heshbon,
flammer skød frem fra Sihon.
Moabs byer gik op i røg,
Arnons fjelde, hver en høj.
Moabitter, nu er det forbi
med jeres Kemosh-afguderi.
Han sendte jo jer alle på flugt,
kvinder blev fanger—åh, hvor smukt!
Men vi erobred’ Heshbon,
indtog landet op til Dibon.
Vi dræbte dem helt til Nofa
som ligger tæt ved Medeba.”
31-32Mens Israels folk opholdt sig i amoritternes land, sendte Moses nogle spioner ud for at undersøge, hvordan han lettest kunne indtage byen Jazer. Derefter angreb de byen og de omkringliggende landsbyer, og amoritterne måtte flygte.
33Derefter satte de kursen nordpå mod Bashan, hvor kong Og straks mobiliserede sin hær og rykkede ud mod dem ved byen Edrei. 34Men Herren sagde til Moses: „Du skal ikke være bange. Jeg vil udlevere kongen og hans hær og hans land til dig. Du skal gøre med ham, som du gjorde med amoritternes kong Sihon af Heshbon.” 35Og ganske rigtigt: Israelitterne sejrede og dræbte kong Og, hans sønner og hans hær, så der ikke var en eneste overlevende tilbage. Således lykkedes det israelitterne at erobre hele området.
1And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. 2And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.21.3 Hormah: that is, Utter destruction
4¶ And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.21.4 discouraged: or, grieved: Heb. shortened 5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7¶ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
10¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. 11And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ije-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.21.11 Ije-abarim: or, heaps of Abarim
12¶ From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. 13From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,21.14 What…: or, Vaheb in Suphah 15And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.21.15 lieth: Heb. leaneth 16And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17¶ Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:21.17 Spring…: Heb. Ascend21.17 sing: or, answer 18The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: 19And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth: 20And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.21.20 country: Heb. field21.20 Pisgah: or, the hill21.20 Jeshimon: or, the wilderness
21¶ And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king’s high way, until we be past thy borders. 23And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.21.25 villages: Heb. daughters 26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. 27Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared: 28For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon. 29Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites. 30We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31¶ Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33¶ And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. 34And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 35So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
