1 We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir, 2 until the Lord said:
Moses, 3 Israel has wandered in these hills long enough. Turn and go north. 4 And give the people these orders: “Be very careful, because you will soon go through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They are afraid of you, 5 but don't start a war with them. I have given them the hill country of Seir, so I won't give any of it to you, not even enough to set a foot on. 6 And as you go through their land, you will have to buy food and water from them.”
7 The Lord has helped us and taken care of us during the past 40 years that we have been in this huge desert. We've had everything we needed, and the Lord has blessed us and made us successful in whatever we have done.
8 We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned onto the desert road that leads to Moab.
9 The Lord told me, “Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it.”
Tribes That Lived near Canaan
10 Before the Lord gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. 11 The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim.
12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the Lord gave them.
Israel Crossed the Zered Gorge
Moses said to Israel:
13 When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the Lord told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did. 14 This was 38 years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the Lord had said they would. 15-16 The Lord kept getting rid of them until finally none of them were left.
17 Then the Lord told me, 18 “Moses, now go past the town of Ar and cross Moab's northern border 19 into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel.”
More Nations That Lived near Canaan
20 Before the Ammonites conquered the land that the Lord had given them, some of the Rephaim used to live there, although the Ammonites called them Zamzummim. 21 The Zamzummim were a large and powerful tribe and were as tall as the Anakim. But the Lord helped the Ammonites, and they killed many of the Zamzummim and forced the rest to leave. Then the Ammonites settled there. 22 The Lord helped them as he had helped the Edomites, who killed many of the Horites in Seir and forced the rest to leave before settling there themselves.
23 A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land.
Israel Crossed the Arnon Gorge
Moses said:
24 After we went through Ammon, the Lord told us:
Israel, pack up your possessions, take down your tents, and cross the Arnon River gorge. The territory of the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon lies on the other side of the river, but I now give you his land. So attack and take it! 25 Today I will start making all other nations afraid of you. They will tremble with fear when anyone mentions you, and they will be terrified when you show up.
The Defeat of King Sihon of Heshbon
(Numbers 21.21-30)Moses said to Israel:
26 After we had crossed the Arnon and had set up camp in the Kedemoth Desert, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon, telling him that his nation and ours could be at peace. I said:
27 Please let Israel go across your country. We will walk straight through, without turning off the road. 28-29 You can even sell us food and water, and we will pay with silver. We need to reach the Jordan River and cross it, because the Lord our God is giving us the land on the west side. The Edomites and Moabites have already let us cross their land. Please let us cross your land as well.
30-31 But Sihon refused to let us go across his country, because the Lord made him stubborn and eager to fight us. The Lord told me, “I am going to help you defeat Sihon and take his land, so attack him!”
32 We met Sihon and his army in battle at Jahaz, 33 and the Lord our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army. 34 Then we captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom, killing everyone, 35 but keeping the livestock and everything else of value. 36 The Lord helped us capture every town from the Arnon River gorge north to the boundary of Gilead, including the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge and the town in the middle of the gorge.
37 However, we stayed away from all the Ammonite towns, both in the hill country and near the Jabbok River, just as the Lord had commanded.
1 Then we turned, and tooke our iourney into the wildernes, by the way of the red Sea, as the Lord spake vnto me: and we compassed mount Seir a long time. 2 And the Lord spake vnto me, saying, 3 Ye haue compassed this mountaine long ynough: turne you Northward. 4 And warne thou the people, saying, Ye shall go through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir, and they shall be afraide of you: take ye good heede therefore. 5 Ye shall not prouoke them: for I wil not giue you of their land so much as a foot breadth, because I haue giuen mount Seir vnto Esau for a possession. 6 Ye shall buy meate of them for money to eate, and ye shall also procure water of them for money to drinke. 7 For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the workes of thine hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wildernes, and the Lord thy God hath bene with thee this fourtie yeere, and thou hast lacked nothing. 8 And when we were departed from our brethren the children of Esau which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plaine, from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned and went by the way of the wildernes of Moab. 9 Then the Lord sayd vnto me, Thou shalt not vexe Moab, neither prouoke them to battel: for I wil not giue thee of their land for a possession, because I haue giuen Ar vnto the children of Lot for a possession. 10 The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great and many, and tall, as the Anakims. 11 They also were taken for gyants as the Anakims: whom the Moabites call Emims. 12 The Horims also dwelt in Seir before time, whome the children of Esau chased out and destroyed them before them, and dwelt in their steade: as Israel shall doe vnto the land of his possession, which the Lord hath giuen them. 13 Now rise vp, sayd I, and get you ouer the riuer Zered: and we went ouer the riuer Zered. 14 The space also wherein we came from Kadesh-barnea, vntill we were come ouer the riuer Zered, was eight and thirtie yeeres, vntill all the generation of the men of warre were wasted out from among the hoste, as the Lord sware vnto them. 15 For in deede the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the hoste, till they were consumed. 16 So when all the men of warre were consumed and dead from among the people: 17 Then the Lord spake vnto me, saying, 18 Thou shalt goe through Ar the coast of Moab this day: 19 And thou shalt come neere ouer against the children of Ammon: but shalt not lay siege vnto them, nor moue warre against them: for I will not giue thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession: for I haue giuen it vnto the children of Lot for a possession. 20 That also was taken for a land of gyants: for gyants dwelt therein afore time, whome the Ammonites called Zamzummims: 21 A people that was great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims: but the Lord destroyed them before them, and they succeeded them in their inheritance, and dwelt in their stead: 22 As he did to the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims before them, and they possessed them, and dwelt in their stead vnto this day. 23 And the Auims which dwelt in Hazarim euen vnto Azzah, the Caphtorims which came out of Caphtor destroyed them, and dwelt in their steade. 24 Rise vp therefore, sayd the Lord: take your iourney, and passe ouer the riuer Arnon: beholde, I haue giuen into thy hand Sihon, the Amorite, King of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possesse it and prouoke him to battell. 25 This day wil I begin to send thy feare and thy dread, vpon all people vnder the whole heauen, which shall heare thy fame, and shall tremble and quake before thee. 26 Then I sent messengers out of the wildernes of Kedemoth vnto Sihon King of Heshbon, with wordes of peace, saying, 27 Let me passe through thy land: I will go by the hie way: I will neither turne vnto the right hand nor to the left. 28 Thou shalt sell me meate for money, for to eate, and shalt giue me water for money for to drinke: onely I will go through on my foote, 29 (As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did vnto me) vntill I be come ouer Iorden, into the land which the Lord our God giueth vs. 30 But Sihon the King of Heshbon would not let vs passe by him: for the Lord thy God had hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, because hee would deliuer him into thine hand, as appeareth this day. 31 And the Lord sayd vnto me, Beholde, I haue begun to giue Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possesse and inherite his land. 32 Then came out Sihon to meete vs, him selfe with all his people to fight at Iahaz. 33 But the Lord our God deliuered him into our power, and we smote him, and his sonnes, and all his people. 34 And we tooke all his cities the same time, and destroyed euery citie, men, and women, and children: we let nothing remaine. 35 Onely the cattell we tooke to our selues, and the spoyle of the cities which we tooke, 36 From Aroer, which is by the banke of the riuer of Arnon, and from the citie that is vpon the riuer, euen vnto Gilead: there was not one citie that escaped vs: for the Lord our God deliuered vp all before vs. 37 Onely vnto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor vnto any place of the riuer Iabbok, nor vnto the cities in the mountaines, nor vnto whatsoeuer the Lord our God forbade vs.