The Israelites Defeat King Sihon and King Og

The people mourned for Aaron thirty days, and when this mourning was over, Moses removed the army from that place and came to the river Arnon. On the other side of this river was the land of the Amorites. This land was fruitful, and could maintain a great many men with the good things it produced. Moses sent messengers to Sihon, the king of this country, asking that he would grant his army a passage, and promising to do no harm to the country or to its inhabitants. But Sihon refused his demand, and put his army in battle-array and prepared to hinder the Israelites from crossing the river.

Then Moses inquired of God whether He would give him leave to fight, and God answered yes, and that He would give him the victory. So the Israelites joyfully put on their armor and went to meet the enemy, who, though they had seemed brave enough before the battle commenced, were then found to be cowardly, so that they could not sustain the first onset, but fled away, and were pursued with great slaughter. Sihon, their king, was also killed, and the Israelites took possession of their land, which was full of abundance of fruit. Such was the destruction which overtook the Amorites, who were neither wise in council nor brave in action.

While matters were in this state, Og, the king of Gilead and Gaulanitis, fell upon the Israelites. He was a friend of king Sihon, and had gathered an army in haste to come to his assistance. Finding him already slain, he determined to revenge him by defeating the Hebrews. But after a great battle he was himself defeated and slain. Now Og was a great king, and he ruled over sixty cities, all of which fell into the hands of the Israelites. He was a giant, twice the size of an ordinary man, and the iron bedstead in which he slept measured four cubits, or eight feet, in breadth, and nine cubits in length.