1 Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness, even the way to the reed sea as the LORD commanded me. And we compassed the mountains of Seir a long time.
2 Then the LORD spake unto me, saying,
3 'Ye have compassed these mountains long enough; turn you northward.
4 And warn the people, saying: Ye shall go through the coasts of your brethren the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and they shall be afraid of you: But take good heed unto yourselves
5 that ye provoke them not, for I will not give you of their land, no not so much as a foot breadth: because I have given mount Seir unto Esau to possess.
6 Ye shall buy meat of them, for money, to eat; and ye shall buy water of them, for money, to drink.
7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thine hand, and knew thee as thou wentest through this great wilderness. Moreover, the LORD thy God hath been with thee this forty years, so that thou hast lacked nothing.'
8 And when we were departed from our brethren, the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir by the field way from Elath and Eziongeber, we turned and went the way to the wilderness of Moab.
9 Then the LORD said unto me, 'See that thou vex not the Moabites, neither provoke them to battle, for I will not give thee of their land to possess: because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot to possess.'
10 The Emims dwelt therein in times past; which were a great strong people, and high of stature as the Anakims.
11 Which also were taken for Giants, like as the Anakims: And the Moabites called them Emims.
12 In like manner the Horites dwelt in Seir, before time: which the children of Esau cast out, and destroyed them before them, and dwelt there in their stead: as Israel did in the land of his possession which the LORD gave them.
13 'Now rise up,' said I, 'and get you over the river Zered.' And we went over the river Zered.
14 The space in which we came from Kadesh Barnea until we were come over the river Zered was thirty eight years: until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out of the host, as the LORD sware unto them.
15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them out of the host, till they were consumed.
16 And as soon as all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
17 then the LORD spake unto me, saying,
18 'Thou shalt go through Ar, the coast of Moab this day,
19 and shalt come nigh unto the children of Ammon: see that thou vex them not, nor yet provoke them. For I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon to possess; because I have given it unto the children of Lot to possess.'
20 That also was taken for a land of Giants - and Giants dwelt therein in old time, and the Ammonites called them Zamzummims:
21 a people that was great, many and tall, as the Anakims. But the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they cast them out and they dwelt there in their stead:
22 as he did for the children of Esau which dwell in Seir; even as he destroyed the Horites before them, and they cast them out and dwell in their stead unto this day.
23 And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim even unto Gaza, the Caphthorims which came out of Caphthor destroyed them and dwelt in their rooms.
24 'Rise up, take your journey and go over the river Arnon. Behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite king of Heshbon, and his land. Go to, and conquer and provoke him to battle.
25 This day I will begin to send the fear and dread of thee upon all nations that are under all ports of heaven: so that when they hear speak of thee, they shall tremble and quake for fear of thee.'
26 Then I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying,
27 'Let me go through thy land. I will go always along by the high way and will neither turn unto the right hand, nor to the left.
28 Sell me meat, for money, for to eat; and give me drink, for money, for to drink: I will go through by foot only -
29 as the children of Esau did unto me, which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar - until I be come over Jordan, into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.'
30 But Sihon, the king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him; for the LORD thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart tough because he would deliver him into thy hands as it is come to pass this day.
31 And the LORD said unto me, 'Behold, I have begun to set Sihon and his land before thee: go to and conquer, that thou mayest possess his land.'
32 Then both Sihon and all his people came out against us unto battle at Jahaz.
33 And the LORD set him before us, and we smote him and his sons and all his people.
34 And we took all his cities the same season, and destroyed all the cities with men, women, and children and let nothing remain,
35 save the cattle only we caught unto ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we took:
36 from Aroer upon the brink of the river of Arnon, and the city in the river, unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us. The LORD our God delivered all unto us:
37 only, unto the land of the children of Ammon ye came not, nor unto all the coast of the river Jabbok nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbade us.