1 T hen 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.

“ 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 Y ahweh spoke to me, saying,

And the Lord spoke to me, saying,

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

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

4 C ommand 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.

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 on’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.

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 shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for money, that you may 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 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.

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 S o 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.

“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 Y ahweh 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.”

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

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

11 T hese also are considered to be Rephaim, as 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 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.)

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

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

14 T he 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.

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

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

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

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

17 Y ahweh spoke to me, saying,

that the Lord spoke to me, saying,

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

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

19 W hen 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.”

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

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

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

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 a s 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:

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 Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and 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 “ 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.

‘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 oday 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.”

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

“ 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 go along by the highway, I will turn neither to the right hand nor 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 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,

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 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.”

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 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.

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 Y ahweh 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.”

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 T hen Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz.

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

33 Y ahweh our God delivered him up before us; and we struck 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 W e 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.

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

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

36 F rom 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.

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 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.

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.