Numbers
21:4-9
(4) From Mount Hor they set out by
the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became
impatient on 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 food and no water, and
we loathe this worthless food."
(6) Then the LORD sent fiery
serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that 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." So Moses
prayed for the people.
(8) And the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten,
when he sees it, shall live."
(9) So Moses made a bronze serpent
and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze
serpent and live.