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 took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as Yahweh spoke to me; and we encircled Mount Seir many days.

2 “ And the Lord spoke to me, saying:

Yahweh spoke to me, saying,

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

“You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward.

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.

Command the people, saying, ‘You are to pass through the border of your brothers the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore be 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.

Don’t contend with them; for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession.

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 shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for money, that you may 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 Yahweh your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He has known your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years, Yahweh your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.

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 passed by from our brothers the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion Geber. We turned and passed by the way of the wilderness 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.’”

Yahweh said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.”

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

(The Emim lived therein before, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim.

11 T hey were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

These also are considered to be Rephaim, as 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 also lived in Seir before, but the children of Esau succeeded them. They destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place; as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Yahweh gave to them.)

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

“Now rise up, and cross over the brook Zered.” We went over the brook 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.

The days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea, until we had come over the brook Zered, were thirty-eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were consumed from the middle of the camp, as Yahweh swore to them.

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.

Moreover Yahweh’s hand was against them, to destroy them from the middle of the camp, until they were consumed.

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

So, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

17 t hat the Lord spoke to me, saying:

Yahweh spoke to me, saying,

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

“You are to pass over Ar, the border of Moab, today.

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.’”

When you come near the border of the children of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you any of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.”

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

(That also is considered a land of Rephaim: Rephaim lived there before; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

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 great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Yahweh destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place;

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.

as he did for the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place 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 Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and 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.

“Rise 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.

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

Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you.”

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

I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

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 go along by the highway, I will turn neither to the right hand nor 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 shall sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink. Just let me pass through on my feet,

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 children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did to me; until I pass over the Jordan into the land which Yahweh our God gives 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 would not let us pass by him; for Yahweh your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as it 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.’

Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before you. Begin to possess, that you may inherit his land.”

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

Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to 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.

Yahweh our God delivered him up before us; and we struck 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.

We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one remaining.

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

Only the livestock we took for plunder for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities which we had taken.

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.

From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. Yahweh our God delivered up all before 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 to the land of the children of Ammon you didn’t come near; all the banks of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill country, and wherever Yahweh our God forbade us.