They struck out from Mount Hor towards the Red Sea, in order to avoid the land of the Edomites. The people grew impatient on the way and spoke against God and Moses: why led out of Egypt, that we die in the desert? Neither bread nor water is here and we detest this scanty food.
Then the Lord send fiery snakes among the people that bit them and many from Israel died.
Then they came to Moses: We have sinned, because we spoke against God and you. Ask God to take the snakes from us. Then the Lord spoke to Moses: make a snake of bronze that you raise high on a pole. Whoever has been bitten and looks at it shall live.