1 And we turned and journeyed into the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds {yam-suf: Reed Sea}, as the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Director} had spoken to me, and we encircled Mount Seir for many days.
2 And the LORD {YHWH, Divine Speaker} said to me, saying {leemor: speech marker},
3 You have circled this mountain long enough {rav: sufficient period}; now turn yourselves northward {tsafonah: northern direction}.
4 And command the people, saying, “You are passing through the territory {bigvul: defined boundary} of your brothers, the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you, so be very careful {me’od: exceedingly vigilant}.”
5 Do not provoke them {titgaru: engage in conflict}, for I {YHWH, Boundary Setter} will not give you any of their land, not even as far as the sole of a foot, because I have given the hill country of Seir to Esau.
6 You shall buy food from them with silver {kesef: precious metal currency}, and you shall eat; and you shall also purchase water {mayim: essential resource} from them with silver, and you shall drink.
7 Because the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheicha, Faithful Provider} has blessed you in all the work {ma‘aseh: deeds of effort} of your hands, He has watched over your journey through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked a thing.
8 And we passed from our brothers, the descendants of Esau {Esav: ancestral line}, who dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah {aravah: desert plain}, from Eilat and from Etzyon Gaver; then we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
9 And the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Legislator} said to me, “Do not harass Moab or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession. For the sons {livnei-lot: Lot’s descendants} of Lot I have given Ar as a possession.”
10 The Emites {ha’emim: ancient inhabitants} formerly dwelled in it, a people great {gadol: numerous and mighty} and many and tall like the Anakim.
11 The Rephaim {refa’im: legendary ancient giants} were also regarded like the Anakim {ka‘anaqim: race of giants}; but the Moabites called them Emim.
12 And in Seir the Horites dwelt formerly, and the descendants of Esau dispossessed and destroyed them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land of his inheritance {yerushato: allotted inheritance} which the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Giver} gave to them.
13 Now arise and cross for yourselves the wadi {naḥal: seasonal stream} of Zered {zāreḏ: southern border river}; and we crossed the wadi of Zered.
14 And the days which we walked from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered wadi {nachal: seasonal stream} were thirty-eight years, until the end of all the generation of the men of war from the midst of the camp, just as the LORD {YHWH, Oath Keeper} had sworn to them.
15 And also the hand of the LORD {YHWH, Judicial Punisher} was upon them to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were completely consumed {tumam: total completion}.
16 And it happened when all the men of war {milchamah: battlefield conflict} had finished dying from among the people {ha-am: covenant community}.
17 And the LORD {YHWH, Divine Speaker} spoke to me {elai: direct revelation}, saying:
18 You are passing over {over: crossing boundary} today the border of Moab {Moav: eastern neighbor} at Ar.
19 And when you come near the descendants of Ammon, do not harass them or provoke {titgar: incite conflict} them, for I {YHWH: Sovereign Speaker} will not give you any of the land of the descendants of Ammon as an inheritance, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as an inheritance.
20 It is also considered {techashev: taken to be} the land of the Rephaim, who formerly dwelt there, and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim {zamzummīm: clan designation}.
21 A people great and numerous and tall, like the Anakim, and the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge} destroyed them from before them; and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place {takhtam: inherited territory}.
22 Just as He {YHWH, Righteous Judge} did for the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horite {hachori: original mountain inhabitants} from before them, and they took possession and lived in their place up to this day.
23 And the Avvites {avvim: former inhabitants} who lived in villages {bachatzarim: rural settlements} as far as Gaza were destroyed by the Caphtorites who came out from Caphtor; the Caphtorites then settled in their place.
24 Arise, set out, and cross Wadi Arnon. See, I {YHWH, Sovereign Giver} have given into your hand Sihon, king of Heshbon, the Amorite, and his land. Begin to take possession {rāš: acquire by conquest}, and provoke him to battle.
25 On this day I {YHWH, Righteous Judge} will begin to place your fear {pachad: intense dread} and your terror over the faces of all the nations under the whole heavens, who, when they hear your report, will tremble and be anguished {chalah: deeply distressed} at your presence.
26 And I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon, king of Heshbon, words of peace {shalom: covenant well-being} to say {le'emor: formal declaration}.
27 Let me pass through your land {erets: territorial domain}; I will go only by the road {derekh: established route}, and will not turn aside to the right or to the left.
28 Sell me food for silver {kesef: specified payment}, so that I may eat, and give me water for silver, so that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot {raglai: by foot travel}.
29 Just as the sons {benei: male descendants} of Esau living in Seir and the Moabites living in Ar did for me, so let me pass through until I cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God {YHWH Eloheinu, Covenant Giver} is giving to us.
30 But Sihon, king of Heshbon, was not willing to let us pass through him, for the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheicha, Sovereign Disposer} had hardened his spirit and made his heart {levav: core will} obstinate, in order to give him into your hand, as is the case this day.
31 And the LORD {YHWH, Promise Fulfiller} said to me, “See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you; begin to dispossess it so that you may inherit {lareshet: permanently claim} his land.”
32 Then Sihon {sikhon: Amorite ruler} came out to meet us—he and all his people—for battle at Jahaz {yahatzah: border fortress}.
33 And the LORD our God {YHWH Eloheinu, Deliverer in Battle} gave him into our hands {lefanenu: before us}, and we struck him down, his sons and all his people.
34 And we captured all his towns at that time, and we devoted to destruction {herem: ban of total destruction} all the men, the women, and the little ones; we left no survivor {sarid: one who escapes}.
35 Only the livestock {behemah: domesticated animals} did we plunder for ourselves, and the plunder of the cities which we captured {lakadnu: took by force}.
36 From Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley and the city in the valley up to Gilead, there was not a city too strong for us; the LORD our God {YHWH Eloheinu, Covenant Warrior} gave us all {kol: every city conquered}.
37 Only to the land of the sons of Ammon did you not approach, every hand {yad: region} of the valley of the Jabbok and the towns of the hill country, and everything that the LORD our God {YHWH Eloheinu, Covenant Protector} had forbidden us.