1 Then we turned and took our journey into the backcountry by the road to the Red Sea, as Yehovah had spoken to me; and we circled around Mount Se’ir many days.
2 And Yehovah spoke to me, saying, 3 “You have circled around this mountain long enough. Turn northward. 4 And command the people, saying, ‘You are to pass through the territory of your brothers, the children of Esau, who live in Se’ir; 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 even enough for the sole of a foot to step on; because I have given Mount Se’ir to Esau for a possession. 6 Buy food from them with silver for you to eat; and also purchase water from them with silver for you to drink.’”
7 For Yehovah your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known your walking through this great backcountry. These forty years, Yehovah your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.
8 So we passed on from our brothers the children of Esau, who dwell in Se’ir, away from the route of the desert plain, away from Eilat and from Etzion Gever. We turned and passed though by the route of the Moab backcountry.
9 And Yehovah said to me, “Don’t attack Moab, neither provoke them to battle; because 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 Refa’im, like the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites also lived in Se’ir in the past, but the children of Esau succeeded them. They destroyed them from in front of them, and lived in their place; as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Yehovah gave to them.)
13 “Now rise up, and cross over the Zered River Valley.” And we crossed over the Zered River Valley.
14 The days in which we came from Kadesh Barne’a, until we had come over the Zered River Valley, were 38 years; until all the generation of the men of war were gone from among the camp, as Yehovah had sworn to them. 15 Moreover Yehovah’s hand was against them, to destroy them from among the camp, until they were gone. 16 So, when all the men of war were gone, dying from among the people, 17 Yehovah spoke to me, saying, 18 “Today you will pass beyond the border of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come near the border of the children of Ammon, don’t attack them or provoke 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 Refa’im: Refa'im lived there in the past; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a great people, many, and tall, alike the Anakim; but Yehovah destroyed them from in front of them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place; 22 as He did for the children of Esau, who dwell in Se’ir, when He destroyed the Horites from in front of them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place even to this day: 23 and the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caftorians, who came out of Caftor, destroyed them, and lived in their place.)
24 “Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the Arnon River Valley. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and fight 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 will shake and tremble because of you.”
26 Then I sent messengers out of the backcountry of Kedemot 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 may sell me food for silver, that I may eat; and give me water for silver, that I may drink. Just let me pass through on my feet, 29 as the children of Esau who dwell in Se’ir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did to me; until I pass over the Jordan into the land which Yehovah our God is giving us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for Yehovah your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as it is today.
31 And Yehovah said to me, “Look, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land in front of 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 Yahatz. 33 And Yehovah our God delivered him up in front of 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 Aro’er, which is on the edge of the Arnon River Valley, and the city that is in the valley, even to Gile'ad, there was not a city too high for us. Yehovah our God delivered up all in front of us. 37 Only to the land of the children of Ammon you didn’t come near; all the banks of the Yabbok River Valley, and the cities of the hill country, and wherever Yehovah our God forbade us.