Numbers 21:1-11

¹And when the Canaanite, the king of 'Arad, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel was coming by the way of the spies: he made an attack on Israel, and took from them some prisoners.

²And Israel made a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt but deliver this people into my hand, then will I devote their cities.

³And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and he delivered up the Canaanites; and they devoted them and their cities: and they called the name of the place Chormah.

⁴And they set forward from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go round the land of Edom: and the spirit of the people became impatient because of the way.

⁵And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this miserable bread.

⁶And the Lord let loose against the people poisonous serpents, and they bit the people; and there died much people of Israel.

⁷And the people then came to Moses, and they said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away from us the serpents. And Moses prayed for the people.

⁸And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thyself a serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that whoever is bitten shall look at it, and he shall live.

⁹And Moses made a serpent of copper, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that, when a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked up to the serpent of copper, he remained alive.

¹⁰And the children of Israel set forward, and encamped in Oboth.

¹¹And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at 'Iye-ha'abarim, in the wilderness, which is before Moab, toward the rising of the sun.