2
1 Then
we turned, and
took our journey
into the
wilderness by the
way to the
Red Sea, as
the LORD spoke
to me; and
we encircled Mount
Seir many days.
2 The
LORD spoke to me, saying,
3 “You
have encircled
this mountain long
enough. Turn
northward.
4 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 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 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 hands. He
has known your
walking through
this great
wilderness. These forty
years, the LORD
your God has
been with you.
You have lacked
nothing.
8 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 The
LORD 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
lived there before,
a great and
numerous people,
and tall as
the Anakim.
11 These
also are
considered to be
Rephaim, as the
Anakim; but the
Moabites call
them Emim.
12 The
Horites also lived
in Seir in
the past, 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 the LORD
gave to them.)
13 “Now
rise up and
cross over the
brook Zered.” We
went over the
brook Zered.
14 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 the LORD
swore to them.
15 Moreover
the LORD’s hand
was against them,
to destroy them
from the middle
of the camp,
until they were
consumed.
16 So,
when all the
men of war
were consumed and
dead from among
the people,
17 the
LORD spoke to
me, saying,
18 “You
are to pass
over Ar, the
border of Moab,
today.
19 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
also is considered
a land of
Rephaim. Rephaim
lived there in
the past, but
the Ammonites call
them Zamzummim,
21 a
great people, many,
and tall, as
the Anakim; but
the LORD destroyed
them from before
Israel, and they
succeeded them,
and lived in
their place,
22 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 Then
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
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 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 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
go along by
the highway. I
will turn neither
to the right
hand nor to
the left.
28 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 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 the LORD
our God gives
us.”
30 But
Sihon king of
Heshbon would not
let us pass
by him, for
the LORD your
God hardened his
spirit and made
his heart obstinate,
that he might
deliver him into
your hand, as
it is today.
31 The
LORD 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 Then
Sihon came out
against us, he
and all his
people, to battle
at Jahaz.
33 The
LORD our God
delivered him up
before us; and
we struck him,
his sons, and
all his people.
34 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 Only
the livestock we
took for plunder
for ourselves, with
the plunder of
the cities which
we had taken.
36 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. The LORD
our God delivered
up all before
us.
37 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 the LORD
our God forbade us.