1 “ 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.

“ 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.

2 A nd the Lord said to me,

And the Lord spoke to me, saying,

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

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

4 T ell 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.

and 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;

5 D o 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.

do 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.

6 Y ou will pay them with money for the food you eat. And you will pay them with money for the water you drink.

You 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.

7 F or 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.”’

For 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.”’

8 “ 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.

“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.

9 T hen 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.’

Then 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.’

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

(The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.

11 T hey are known as Rephaim also, like the Anakim. But the Moabites call them Emim.

Like the Anakim, they are also regarded as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

12 T he 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.)

The 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.)

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

‘Now arise and cross over the brook Zered yourselves.’ So we crossed over the brook Zered.

14 I t 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.

Now 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.

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

Moreover the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished.

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

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

17 t he Lord said to me,

that the Lord spoke to me, saying,

18 ‘ Today you will cross over Ar and into Moab.

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

19 B ut 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.’

When 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.’

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

(It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim, for Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin,

21 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.

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,

22 I t 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.

just 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.

23 A nd the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed the Avvim who lived in towns as far as Gaza. Then they lived in their place.)

And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)

24 ‘ 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.

‘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.

25 T his 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

This 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.’

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

“ So 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 road. I will not turn to the right or to the left.

‘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.

28 Y ou 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

You 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,

29 a s 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.’

just 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.’

30 B ut 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.

But 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.

31 T hen 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.’

The 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.’

32 “ Then Sihon and all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz.

“Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz.

33 T he Lord our God gave him to us. We won the fight against him, his sons and all his people.

The Lord our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people.

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

So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor.

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

We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured.

36 T here 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.

From 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.

37 O nly 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.

Only 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.