Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border wherefore Israel turned away from him.

AARON DIES IN THE WILDERNESS. (NUMBERS XX. 22-29.)

AND the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

:

And Moses did as the LORD commanded and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

KING ARAD THE CANAANITE.

(NUMBERS XXI. 1-3.)

AND 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. And 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. And 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.

THE BRAZEN SERPENT.

(NUMBERS XXI. 4-9.)

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. And 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.

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 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.

And 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. And 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.

THE SONG OF THE WELL.

(NUMBERS XXI. 16-18.)

AND the children of Israel journeyed in the wilderness, and they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

Then Israel sang this song,

Spring up, O well;

Sing ye unto it :

The princes digged the well,

The nobles of the people digged it,

By the direction of the lawgiver, with their

staves.

VI.

FIRST CONQUESTS.

SIHON KING OF THE AMORITES.

(NUMBERS XXI. 21-32.)

AND Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, Let 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.

And 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.

And 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. And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.

For 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. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say,

Come into Heshbon,

Let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:

For 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.
Woe 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.

We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even

unto Dibon,

And we have laid them waste even unto Nophah,
Which reacheth unto Medeba.

Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.

OG THE KING OF BASHAN.

(NUMBERS XXI. 33-35; DEUTERONOMY III. II.)

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. And 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. So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people,