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When Moses saw that the Amorite king was disposed to enter upon hostilities
with them, he thought he ought not to bear that insult; and, determining
to wean the Hebrews from their indolent temper, and prevent the disorders
which arose thence, which had been the occasion of their former sedition,
(nor indeed were they now thoroughly easy in their minds,) he inquired
of God, whether he would give him leave to fight? which when he had done,
and God also promised him the victory, he was himself very courageous,
and ready to proceed to fighting. Accordingly he encouraged the soldiers;
and he desired of them that they would take the pleasure of fighting, now
God gave them leave so to do. They then, upon the receipt of this permission,
which they so much longed for, put on their whole armor, and set about
the work without delay. But the Amorite king was not now like to himself
when the Hebrews were ready to attack him; but both he himself was affrighted
at the Hebrews, and his army, which before had showed themselves to be
of good courage, were then found to be timorous: so they could not sustain
the first onset, nor bear up against the Hebrews, but fled away, as thinking
this would afford them a more likely way for their escape than fighting,
for they depended upon their cities, which were strong, from which yet
they reaped no advantage when they were forced to fly to them; for as soon
as the Hebrews saw them giving ground, they immediately pursued them close;
and when they had broken their ranks, they greatly terrified them, and
some of them broke off from the rest, and ran away to the cities. Now the
Hebrews pursued them briskly, and obstinately persevered in the labors
they had already undergone; and being very skillful in slinging, and very
dexterous in throwing of darts, or any thing else of that kind, and also
having nothing but light armor, which made them quick in the pursuit, they
overtook their enemies; and for those that were most remote, and could
not be overtaken, they reached them by their slings and their bows, so
that many were slain; and those that escaped the slaughter were sorely
wounded, and these were more distressed with thirst than with any of those
that fought against them, for it was the summer season; .and when the greatest
number of them were brought down to the river out of a desire to drink,
as also when others fled away by troops, the Hebrews came round them, and
shot at them; so that, what with darts and what with arrows, they made
a slaughter of them all. Sihon their king was also slain. So the Hebrews
spoiled the dead bodies, and took their prey. The land also which they
took was full of abundance of fruits, and the army went all over it without
fear, and fed their cattle upon it; and they took the enemies prisoners,
for they could no way put a stop to them, since all the fighting men were
destroyed. Such was the destruction which overtook the Amorites, who
were neither sagacious in counsel, nor courageous in action. Hereupon the
Hebrews took possession of their land, which is a country situate between
three rivers, and naturally resembled an island: the river Arnon being
its southern ; the river Jabbok determining its northern side, which running
into Jordan loses its own name, and takes the other; while Jordan itself
runs along by it, on its western coast.
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