3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanite; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place Hormah. {Heb. destruction}
4 And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread.
6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.
7 Then 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 these serpents from among us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent and lift it up as a banner, and it shall be that anyone that is bitten and looks upon it shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it up as a banner, and it came to pass that when a serpent bit anyone, he beheld the serpent of brass, and lived.