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 went into the desert by the way of the Red Sea, as the Lord said to me. We went around Mount Seir for many days.

2 A nd the Lord spoke to me, saying,

And the Lord said to me,

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

‘You have traveled around this mountain long enough. Now turn north.

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.

Tell the people, “You will pass through the land of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so be very careful.

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 make them angry. For I will not give you any of their land, not even enough for a foot to step on. I have given Mount Seir to Esau for his own.

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 will pay them with money for the food you eat. And you will pay them with money for the water you 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 brought good to you in all you have done. He knows about your traveling through this big desert. The Lord your God has been with you these forty years. You have not been without a thing.”’

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.

“So we moved on from our brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road, away from Elath and Ezion-geber. We turned and went by the way of the desert 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 bring trouble to Moab or fight them in war. For I will not give you any of their land for your own. I have given Ar to the children of Lot for their own.’

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

(The Emim had lived there before. These people were many and powerful, and as tall as the Anakim.

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

They are known as Rephaim also, 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 once lived in Seir also. But the sons of Esau took their place. They destroyed them and took the land for themselves, as Israel did to the land which the Lord gave them for their own.)

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

‘Now get up and go over the river Zered.’ So we went over the river 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.

It was thirty-eight years from the time we left Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over the river Zered. By that time all the men of war among us had died, as the Lord had said they would.

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.

The hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them within their tents until they were all dead.

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

“When all the men of war had died from among the people,

17 T he Lord spoke to me, saying,

the Lord said to me,

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

‘Today you will cross over Ar and into 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.

But when you come near the land of the sons of Ammon, do not bring them trouble or make them angry. For I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon for your own. Because I have given it to the sons of Lot for their own.’

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

(It is known as the land of the Rephaim also. For Rephaim once lived in it. But the Amorites call them Zamzummin,

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, as many and as tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them, and the sons of Ammon took their place and lived in their land.

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.

It was as He did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir. He destroyed the Horites, and the sons of Esau took their place and live in their land 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 Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed the Avvim who lived in towns as far as Gaza. Then they lived 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.

‘Now rise up and go on your way. Pass through the valley of Arnon. See, I have given you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take it for your own, and fight with 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 much fear of you upon the nations everywhere under the heavens. When they hear about you, they will shake with fear and be filled with trouble because of you.’ Battle with King Sihon

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

“So I sent men carrying news from the desert of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace. They said,

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 travel only on the road. I will not turn to the right or to the left.

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

You will sell me food for money so I may eat, and give me water for money so 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.

as the sons of Esau did for us in Seir and the Moabites in Ar. Do this until I cross over the Jordan into the land 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 was not willing to let us pass through his land. For the Lord your God made his spirit and heart hard, so He might give him into your hand, as he is today.

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.

Then the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you. Begin to take it for your own, so you may live in it.’

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 to meet us in battle 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.

The Lord our God gave him to us. We won the fight against 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.

So we took all his cities at that time, and destroyed every man, woman and child in them. We left no one alive.

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 animals for our own, and the things that were left behind in the cities.

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.

There was no city too strong for us, from Aroer by the valley of Arnon, and from the city which is in the valley, as far as Gilead. The Lord our God gave 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 sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country. You did not go where the Lord our God told us not to go.