1 T hen we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the Lord directed me; and for many days we journeyed around Mount Seir.

“Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days.

2 A nd the Lord spoke to me, saying,

“And the Lord spoke to me, saying:

3 Y ou have roamed around this mountain country long enough; turn northward.

‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.

4 A nd command the Israelites, You are to pass through the territory of your kinsmen the sons of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So watch yourselves carefully.

And command the people, saying, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brethren, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore watch yourselves carefully.

5 D o not provoke or stir them up, for I will not give you of their land, no, not enough for the sole of your foot to tread on, for I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession.

Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.

6 Y ou shall buy food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them for money, that you may drink.

You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.

7 F or the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.

“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”’

8 S o we passed on from our brethren the sons of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, away from the Arabah (wilderness), and from Elath and from Ezion-geber. We turned and went by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

“And when we passed beyond our brethren, the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir, away from the road of the plain, away from Elath and Ezion Geber, we turned and passed by way of the Wilderness of Moab.

9 A nd the Lord said to me, Do not trouble or assault Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot for a possession.

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’”

10 ( The Emim dwelt there in times past, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim.

(The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim.

11 T hese also are known as Rephaim, as are the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

12 T he Horites also formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave to them.)

The Horites formerly dwelt in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave them.)

13 N ow rise up and go over the brook Zered. So we went over the brook Zered.

“‘Now rise and cross over the Valley of the Zered.’ So we crossed over the Valley of the Zered.

14 A nd the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we had come over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the whole generation of the men of war had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.

And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them.

15 M oreover the hand of the Lord was against them to exterminate them from the midst of the camp, until they were all gone.

For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed.

16 S o when all the men of war had died from among the people,

“So it was, when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people,

17 T he Lord spoke to me, saying,

that the Lord spoke to me, saying:

18 Y ou are this day to pass through Ar, the border of Moab.

‘This day you are to cross over at Ar, the boundary of Moab.

19 B ut when you come near the territory of the sons of Ammon, do not trouble or assault them or provoke or stir them up, for I will not give you any of the land of the Ammonites for a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.

And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’”

20 ( That also is known as a land of Rephaim; Rephaim dwelt there formerly, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

(That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

21 A people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before, and they dispossessed them and settled in their stead,

a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place,

22 A s He did for the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them, and they dispossessed them and settled in their stead even to this day.

just as He had done for the descendants of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, even to this day.

23 A s for the Avvim who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.)

And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.)

24 R ise up, take your journey, and pass over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it and contend with him in battle.

“‘Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle.

25 T his day will I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples who are under the whole heavens, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.

This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’ King Sihon Defeated

26 S o I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

“And I sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying,

27 L et me pass through your land. I will go only by the road, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left.

‘Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the road, and I will turn neither to the right nor to the left.

28 Y ou shall sell me food to eat and sell me water to drink; only let me walk through,

You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on foot,

29 A s the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites, who dwell in Ar, did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land which the Lord our God gives us.

just as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

30 B ut Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might give him into your hand, as at this day.

“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.

31 A nd the Lord said to me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may succeed him and occupy his land.

“And the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to possess it, that you may inherit his land.’

32 T hen Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

Then Sihon and all his people came out against us to fight at Jahaz.

33 A nd the Lord our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people.

And the Lord our God delivered him over to us; so we defeated him, his sons, and all his people.

34 A t the same time we took all his cities and utterly destroyed every city—men, women, and children. We left none to remain.

We took all his cities at that time, and we utterly destroyed the men, women, and little ones of every city; we left none remaining.

35 O nly the cattle we took as booty for ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we had captured.

We took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we took.

36 F rom Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Valley, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was no city too high and strong for us; the Lord our God delivered all to us.

From Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and from the city that is in the ravine, as far as Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the Lord our God delivered all to us.

37 O nly you did not go near the land of the Ammonites, that is, to any bank of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the Lord our God had forbidden us.

Only you did not go near the land of the people of Ammon—anywhere along the River Jabbok, or to the cities of the mountains, or wherever the Lord our God had forbidden us.