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 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 Y ahweh spoke to me, saying,

And the Lord said to me,

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

‘You have traveled around 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.

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 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 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 purchase food from them for money, that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 lived therein before, a people great, and many, 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 hese also are considered to be Rephaim, as 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 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 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 up, and cross over the brook Zered.” We went over the brook Zered.

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

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 M oreover Yahweh’s hand was against them, to destroy them from the middle 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 S o, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

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

17 Y ahweh spoke to me, saying,

the Lord said to me,

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

‘Today you will cross over Ar and into 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.”

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 also is considered a land of Rephaim: Rephaim lived there before; 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 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, 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 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:

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 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 Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed the Avvim who lived in towns as far as Gaza. Then they 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.

‘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 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 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 I sent messengers out of 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 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 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. Just let me pass through on my feet,

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 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.”

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 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 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 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.”

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

“Then Sihon and 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 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 utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one 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 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 for our own, and the things that were left behind in the cities.

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.

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 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 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.