1 “ 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.

“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 “ And the Lord spoke to me, saying:

And the Lord said to me,

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

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

4 A nd 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.

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 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.

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 with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with 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 “ 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.”’

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 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.

“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 T hen 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.’”

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 had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous 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 hey were also regarded as giants, like 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 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.)

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

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

14 A nd 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.

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

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

17 t hat the Lord spoke to me, saying:

the Lord said to me,

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

‘Today you will cross over Ar and into Moab.

19 A nd 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.’”

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 was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. 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 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,

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 j ust 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.

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

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, 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.

‘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 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

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 “ And 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 ‘ 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.

‘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 for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on foot,

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 j ust 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.’

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 “ 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.

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 “ 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.’

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 and all his people came out against us 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 delivered him over to us; so we defeated him, 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 W e took all his cities at that time, and we utterly destroyed the men, women, and little ones of every city; we left none remaining.

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 livestock as plunder for ourselves, with 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 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.

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 people of Ammon—anywhere along the River Jabbok, or to the cities of the mountains, or 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.