1 ¶ Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD had said unto me; and we went around Mount Seir many days

“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 u ntil the LORD spoke unto me, saying,

And the Lord said to me,

3 Y e have gone around this mountain long enough; return unto the Aquilon.

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

4 A nd command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren, the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you; take care unto yourselves, therefore;

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 seek a fight with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for an inheritance.

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 e shall buy food from them for money that ye may eat, and ye shall also buy water from them for money that ye 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 thy God has blessed thee in all the works of thy hand; he knows thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty years the LORD thy God has been with thee; thou hast 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 ¶ And when we passed by our brethren, the sons of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed 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 unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of their land for a possession because I have given Ar unto the sons of Lot for an inheritance.

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 Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many and tall as the Anakims,

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

11 w hich also were accounted giants as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.

They are known as Rephaim also, like the Anakim. But the Moabites call them Emim.

12 T he Horims also dwelt in Seir before time, but the sons of Esau inherited from them, and they destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Israel did in the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto 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, said I, and pass the brook Zered. And 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 days in which we came from Kadeshbarnea until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty-eight years until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the camp, as the LORD swore unto 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 F or indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the camp until they were consumed.

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

16 S o it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people

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

17 t hat the LORD spoke unto me, saying,

the Lord said to me,

18 T hou art to pass the border of Moab today unto Ar,

‘Today you will cross over Ar and into Moab.

19 a nd when thou comest near over against the sons of Ammon, do not distress them nor meddle with them, for I will not give thee of the land of the sons of Ammon any possession because I have given it unto the sons of Lot for an inheritance.

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 was accounted a land of giants; giants dwelt therein in another time, and the Ammonites called them Zamzummims,

(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 Anakims; whom the LORD destroyed before the Ammonites; and they inherited from them and dwelt 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 to the sons of Esau who dwelt in Seir when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they inherited from them and dwelt in their stead even unto 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 nd the Avims who dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Gaza, the Caphtorims, who came forth out of 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 ¶ Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass the river Arnon; behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon, and his land; begin, take possession 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 I will begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the peoples that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of thee, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee.

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 A nd I sent ambassadors out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto 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 thy land; I will go along by the high way; I will neither turn unto the right hand 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 T hou shalt sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; I will only pass through on my feet

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 ( as the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites, who dwell in Ar, did unto me) until I shall pass 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 thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into thy hand as until 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 unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee; begin, take possession that thou may inherit 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 B ut the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote 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 nd we took all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed all the cities, the men and the women and the little ones; 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 W e took only the beasts for a prey unto ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we took.

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

36 F rom Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river even unto Gilead, there was not one city escaped us; the LORD our God delivered all of them before 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 unto the land of the sons of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto any place that the LORD our God forbade 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.