1 “ Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days.

“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 ‘ You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north,

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

4 a nd command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful;

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 them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as 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 with money so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with money so 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 that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”’

“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 “ So we passed beyond our brothers the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road, away from Elath and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed through 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 T hen the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as 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 lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, 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 L ike the Anakim, they are also regarded as Rephaim, 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 formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, just 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 ‘ Now arise and cross over the brook Zered yourselves.’ So we crossed over the brook Zered.

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

14 N ow the time that it took for us to come from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war perished from within 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 destroy them from within the camp until they all perished.

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

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

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

17 t hat the Lord spoke to me, saying,

that the Lord spoke to me, saying:

18 ‘ Today you shall cross over Ar, the border of Moab.

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

19 W hen you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as 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 ( It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim, for Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin,

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

21 a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, but the Lord destroyed them before them. And they dispossessed them and settled in their place,

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 j ust as He did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them; they dispossessed them and settled in their place 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 nd the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)

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 ‘ Arise, set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession 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 I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will 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 “ So 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 ‘ Let me pass through your land, I will travel only on the highway; I will not turn aside to the right or 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 will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot,

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 j ust as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross over the Jordan into the land which the Lord our God is giving to 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 was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today.

“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 T he Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess 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 “ Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz.

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

33 T he Lord our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with 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 S o we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor.

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 W e took only the animals as our booty 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 valley of Arnon and from the city which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for us; the Lord our God delivered all over 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 to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the Lord our God had commanded 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.