Numbers 21:4-16

⁴The Israelites left Mount Hor by the road leading to the Red Sea so they could avoid traveling through the country of Edom. But the people became bad-tempered on the way

⁵and made complaints against God and against Moses, saying, “Why did you lead us out of Egypt to die in the desert? We don't have bread or water, and we hate this awful food!”

⁶So the Lord sent poisonous snakes to attack them, and many Israelites were bitten and died.

⁷The people went to see Moses and told him, “We were wrong to make complaints against the Lord and against you. Please pray to the Lord to get rid of the snakes from us.” Moses prayed to the Lord on their behalf.

⁸The Lord told Moses, “Make a model of a snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten looks at it, they will live.”

⁹Moses made a snake out of bronze and put it on a pole. Those who looked at it did live.

¹⁰The Israelites left and camped at Oboth.

¹¹Then they moved on from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the desert on the east side of Moab.

¹²They left there and camped in the Valley of Zered.

¹³Then they moved on from there and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the desert near Amorite territory. The Arnon River is the border between the Moab and the Amorites.

¹⁴That's why the Book of the Wars of the Lord refers to “the town of Waheb in Suphah and the canyon of the Arnon,

¹⁵the canyon slopes that reach the village of Ar that lies on the border with Moab.”

¹⁶From there they moved on to Beer, the well where the Lord told Moses, “Have the people gather together so I can give them water.”