Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 254
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
21:27–22:6
been the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites. He had defeated a former
Moabite king and seized all his land as far as the Arnon River. Therefore,
the ancient poets wrote this about him:
“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt!
Let the city of Sihon be restored.
A fire flamed forth from Heshbon,
a blaze from the city of Sihon.
It burned the city of Ar in Moab;
it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights.
What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab!
You are finished, O worshipers of Chemosh!
Chemosh has left his sons as refugees,
his daughters as captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
We have utterly destroyed them,
from Heshbon to Dibon.
We have completely wiped them out
as far away as Nophah and Medeba.”
So the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. After
Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the
region and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Then they turned and
marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people
attacked them at Edrei. The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him,
for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land.
Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled
in Heshbon.” And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not
a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land.
Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east
of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite
king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites. And when
the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour
everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!”
So Balak, king of Moab, sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor,
who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His
message said:
“Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the
face of the earth and are threatening me. Please come and curse these
