參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本   

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

1. And King Arad the Canaanite, who lived in the south, heard that Israel came by the Way of the Spies; then he fought against Israel and took prisoners of them.

2. And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will completely destroy their cities.”

3. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites. And they completely destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Hormah.

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 very discouraged because of the way.

5. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water. And our soul hates 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. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.

8. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And it shall be when everyone who is bitten looks upon it, he shall live.”

9. And Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole. And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.

10. And the children of Israel journeyed and pitched in Oboth.

 (A Faithful Version)

1. 當時迦南地的王亞拉，佔地於南面，以色列人派了幾個間諜，真的到來就拿幾個人收監。

2. 當時以色列人向耶和華發起一個誓：若耶和華確實把這民交我手中，就必徹底毀滅他們。

3. 耶和華似乎聽到以色列人的誓言，將迦南地南面的亞拉王，及其城邑徹底毀滅了，並稱之為何珥瑪。

4. 他們從何珥山起行，取道繞過以東，沿著紅海而行，民眾都因路途艱辛而感到沮喪。

5. 為此抱怨耶和華和摩西：早知如此就不要離開埃及卻葬身曠野！這一路都是曠野，沒有食物，沒有水，這種無味的食糧都食到厭。

6. 耶和華便讓毒蛇進到他們當中，許多以色列人被咬死。

7. 民眾為此向摩西認錯：我們有罪，得罪了耶和華和你。請求耶和華讓蛇遠離。摩西就為百姓禱告。

8. 耶和華對摩西作出指示，讓他製造一條蛇枚，被咬的人，只要望向這蛇，就必痊癒。

9. 摩西造了一銅蛇杖，有被蛇咬的人，望向銅蛇杖，就痊癒了。

10. 以色列人起行，在阿伯特安營。

這段經文的記載當中有些細節是須要留意，那是4-9節產生蛇咬人事件，成因是從1-3節有直接關係。

特別在第二節的

英文： And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said,   

中文：當時以色列人向耶和華發起一個誓：

和合本2010：以色列向耶和華許願說：

這個不同的翻譯，是會影響為何會有蛇出來咬人的解釋，因為耶和華並沒有應允他們。當中的緣由是亞拉王沒有敵意也沒有發出攻擊，是以色人當中有人攪事。假借耶和華的名，行了不當行的事。遭蛇咬是耶和華對這些人的懲戒。這事就明白事件的來龍去脈，恩怨分明。

若是追問，那些發假誓的人是什麼人？當然是以色列人，不是在以色列受苦的人，是在以色列有利益的人。是

在以色列人，當時有二類人士，一類當埃及的中介人，如作低層管理的人，社會中受益於埃及人的權貴，這些人不會受苦。受苦的喜好和平，沒有貪念的一般平民。這些平常人，吃苦的能耐強，不容易發怨言。至於那些透過交易，也許有過多利益的，對受苦就會有不憤，這些人是常常把：為何領我出埃及？以發洩他們的不滿。是這些人令平凡的尋常人家，承受這些人的後果。

耶穌到來，他選擇的對象是平凡人，叫在受苦當中，懂得向耶和華支取力量。這份力量原就在他們心裡：有份純粹的愛，只是欠了靈巧。

至於蛇的出現，那是自然現象，耶和華不去干預，就如祂不去干預那些自以為是的人，去放縱私慾一樣。只是，耶和華還是作出拯救：看銅蛇，就是自己犯事的後果，承認就得醫治。