Israel Defeats the Canaanites at Hormah
1 The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.
2 The Israelites prayed, “Our Lord, if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you.”
3 The Lord answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means “Destroyed Place.”
Moses Makes a Bronze Snake
4 The Israelites had to go around the territory of Edom, so when they left Mount Hor, they headed south toward the Red Sea. But along the way, the people became so impatient 5 that they complained against God and said to Moses, “Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!”
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.
7 Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, “It was wrong of us to insult you and the Lord. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away.”
Moses prayed, 8 and the Lord answered, “Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and be saved from death.”
9 Moses obeyed the Lord. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.
Israel's Journey to Moab
10 As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they camped at Oboth, 11 then at Iye-Abarim in the desert east of Moab, 12 and then in the Zered Gorge. 13 After that, they crossed the Arnon River gorge and camped in the Moabite desert bordering Amorite territory. The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites. 14 A song in The Book of the Lord's Battles mentions the town of Waheb with its creeks in the territory of Suphah. It also mentions the Arnon River, 15 with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar.
16 From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the Lord had said to Moses, “Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink.”
17 That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song:
Let's celebrate!
The well has given us water.
18 With their royal scepters,
our leaders pointed out
where to dig the well.
The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah, 19 then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth. 20 Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgah in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
Israel Defeats King Sihon the Amorite
(Deuteronomy 2.26-37)21 The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:
22 Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we'll stay on the main road.
23 But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz. 24 Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.
25 The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. 26 King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge. 27 That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon:
Come and rebuild Heshbon,
King Sihon's capital city!
28 His armies marched out
like fiery flames,
burning down the town of Ar
and destroying the hills
along the Arnon River.
29 You Moabites are done for!
Your god Chemosh
deserted your people;
they were captured, taken away
by King Sihon the Amorite.
30 We completely defeated Moab.
The towns of Heshbon and Dibon,
of Nophah and Medeba
are ruined and gone.
31 After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory, 32 Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.
Israel Defeats King Og of Bashan
(Deuteronomy 3.1-11)33 The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours.”
35 So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army—there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.
Ovaisrael mave havere Ovakanaan
1 Ombara ya Arad, Omukanaan, ngwa turire mehi rokeyuva kokumuho, tja zuva kutja Ovaisrael mave ya nondjira ya Atarim, eye otje ve rwisa na huura tjiva. 2 Ovaisrael opu va tjitira omakwizikiro ku Muhona ave tja: “Ove tji wa yandja otjiwaṋa hi momake wetu, okutja matu nyono ovihuro vyawo okumana.” 3 Nu Muhona wa zuvira Ovaisrael na yandja Ovakanaan mouvara wawo. NOvaisrael ve ve havera puna ovihuro vyawo nave vi nyono, nave ruku poṋa mbo Horma, okutja Onyoneno.
Onyoka yongoporo
4 Nowo va womboroka okuza kondundu Hor nave twara ondjira, ndji yenda kOmuronga wOtuu okukakondoroka ehi rOvaedom. Nungwari mondjira otjiwaṋa tje rihahiza, 5 natji pirukire Ndjambi na Moses, atji tja: “Mwe tu pitisira tjike mOengipte tu ye okukokera mokuti onguza, mu mu hi novikurya nomeva? Eṱe twa ṱonḓi yovikurya oviyaukise mbi.”
6 Muhona wa hinda ozonyoka ozonauzuwo motjiwaṋa; nOvaisrael ovengi va rumatwa nave koka. 7 Notjiwaṋa otji tje ya ku Moses atji tja: “Twa katuka, tji twa unaunine Muhona na ove. Arikana tu kumbira ku Muhona a ise po ozonyoka nḓa.” Nu Moses wa kumbira otjiwaṋa. 8 Muhona arire tja tja ku Moses: “Ungura onyoka, nu u i twe kotjihenḓe. Nu auhe ngwa rumatwa na tara ku yo ma hupu.” 9 Moses otja ungura onyoka yongoporo ne i twa kotjihenḓe. Nu auhe ngwa rumatwa i onyoka na tara ku indji oyongoporo wa hupa.
Ouyenda morutjandja rwOvamoab
10 Ovaisrael va kayenda komurungu nave katona ozondanda zawo mObot. 11 Kombunda yanao va womboroka mObot nave katona ozondanda mOIje-Abarim mokuti onguza ku ku ri komuhuka wa Moab. 12 Okuzambo va ryama nave katona ozondanda poruronḓu Sered. 13 Okuzambo va kayenda rukwao nave katona ozondanda munda mbwina yonḓonḓu Arnon, ndji ri mokuti onguza ku kwa tandavara mehi rOvaamori. Onḓonḓu Arnon ondja ri omuruko pokati kOvamoab nOvaamori. 14 Opu pa hewa mEmbo rOvita vya Muhona: “Otjihuro Waheb mehi ra Sufa, nomikutu; nonḓonḓu Arnon, 15 nomaraukiro womikutu nge tandavara nga kotjihuro Ar, kuṱa komukuro wa Moab.”
16 Okuzambo va ka wondja nga kObeer. Oyo ndji ondjombo Muhona pa hungirira ku Moses a tja: “Woronganisa otjiwaṋa mbi tji pe omeva.” 17 Moruveze ndo Ovaisrael va imbura eimburiro ndi:
“Henga, ndjombo! Ngatu i
minike neimburiro!
18 Ndjombo, ovahivirikwa
ndji va hupura,
ovaingona votjiwaṋa ndji va
tumbura nokati kouhona nouti ouhoneno wayo.”
Va pita mokuti onguza okuyenda kOmatana, 19 nokuza kOmatana nokuyenda kOnahaliel nokuza kOnahaliel okuyenda kObamot, 20 nokuza kObamot okuyenda komukutu mbu ri mehi ra Moab, kondomba yondundu Pisga, ndja hungama nokuti onguza.
Ovaisrael mave havere ozombara ooSihon na Og
(Deu 2:26—3:11)21 Ovaisrael va tuma ovahindwa ku Sihon, ombara yOvaamori, nave tja: 22 “Arikana tu esa tu tuurungire mehi roye. Katu nakuyepa momahi woye wovikunino poo momivite; nomeva mozondjombo zoye katu nakunwa; matu ka wondja mondjira yombara nga tji twa piti mehi roye.” 23 Nungwari Sihon wa panḓa Ovaisrael okutuurungira mehi re; eye wa woronganisa otjimbumba tje tjovita, na i mokuti onguza okukatjakanena Ovaisrael; neye tje ya motjihuro Jahas, wa rwisa Ovaisrael. 24 Nungwari Ovaisrael va zepa ovanavita ovengi motjirwa, nave kambura ehi rawo ri rire ouini wawo, okuza konḓonḓu Jabok nga kOjaser tji tja ri omukuro wOvaamoni. 25 Ovaisrael va kambura ovihuro avihe vyOvaamori puna Hesbon novirongo avihe mbya kondoroka tjo nave tura mu vyo. 26 Hesbon tja ri otjihuro ohongora tja Sihon, ombara yOvaamori, ngwa rwisire ombara yOvamoab ndja ri po komurungu we na kambura ehi re arihe nga konḓonḓu Arnon. 27 Ovatangunune vomiano opu ve tjera nai:
“Indjeye kOhesbon, kombara ya Sihon!
Ngatji tungururwe nu ngatji yarurwe ko rukwao,
28 Orondu omuriro wa pita mOhesbon,
norururumo okuza motjiṱunga tja Sihon;
nau seseta otjihuro Ar tjOvamoab,
nau nyosa ozohungu za Arnon.
29 Owee kove, Moab!
Wa yandjwa konyoneno, tjiwaṋa tjomukuru
wotjisenginina Kemos; ngu tjita ovazandu ve
ovataure, novasuko ve ovahuurwa va Sihon, ombara yOvaamori.
30 Nungwari nai ozondekurona za nyonwa,
okuza ku Hesbon nga kOdibon; nokuza kOnashim nga kOnofah, popezu na Medeba.”
31 Ovaisrael opu va turira mehi rOvaamori. 32 Tjazumba Moses wa tuma ovarumendu okukahora otjihuro Jaser, nowo va kambura otjihuro hi novirongo vyatjo, nave ramba Ovaamori, mba turire mo.
33 Kombunda yanao Ovaisrael va tanauka nave hungama kObasan. Nu Og, ombara ya Basan, notjimbumba tje atjihe tjovita tje ve tjakanena mOedrei okuverwisa. 34 Muhona opa tjera nai ku Moses: “O mu tira! Ami mbe mu yandja puna otjiwaṋa tje atjihe nehi re mouvara woye; ove tjita ku ye otja tji wa tjita ku Sihon, ombara yOvaamori, ngwa turire mOhesbon.” 35 Ovaisrael otji va zepa Og novazandu ve notjiwaṋa tje atjihe nga tji pe ha hupire omundu; nowo va kambura ehi re ri rire ouini wawo.
