Chapter 2

Then we turned,⁴ and took our journey⁴ into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake¹⁴ unto me: and we compassed⁴ mount Seir many days.

And the LORD spake⁴ unto me, saying,²

Ye have compassed² this mountain long enough: turn³ you northward.

And command¹⁶ thou the people, saying,² Ye [are] to pass through⁶ the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell⁶ in Seir; and they shall be afraid⁴ of you: take ye good heed⁸ unto yourselves therefore:

Meddle¹⁰¹ not with them; for I will not give⁴ you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; ³⁷⁰⁹ because I have given¹ mount Seir unto Esau [for] a possession.

Ye shall buy⁴ meat of them for money, that ye may eat;¹ and ye shall also buy⁴ water of them for money, that ye may drink.¹

For the LORD thy God hath blessed¹⁴ thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth¹ thy walking² through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God [hath been] with thee; thou hast lacked¹ nothing.

And when we passed by⁴ from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt⁶ in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned⁴ and passed by⁴ the way of the wilderness of Moab.

And the LORD said⁴ unto me, Distress⁴ not the Moabites, neither contend¹⁰¹ with them in battle: for I will not give⁴ thee of their land [for] a possession; because I have given¹ Ar unto the children of Lot [for] a possession.

The Emims dwelt¹ therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall,⁶ as the Anakims;

Which also were accounted¹¹ giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call⁴ them Emims.

The Horims ²⁷⁵³ also dwelt¹ in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded⁴ them, when they had destroyed⁵⁵ them from before them, and dwelt⁴ in their stead; as Israel did¹ unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave¹ unto them.

Now rise up,³ [said I], and get you over³ the brook Zered. And we went over⁴ the brook Zered.

And the space in which we came¹ from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over¹ the brook Zered, [was] thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted² out from among the host, as the LORD sware⁸ unto them.

For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy² them from among the host, until they were consumed.²

So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed¹ and dead² from among the people,

That the LORD spake¹⁷ unto me, saying,²

Thou art to pass over⁶ through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:

And [when] thou comest nigh¹ over against the children of Ammon, distress⁴ them not, nor meddle¹⁰¹ with them: for I will not give⁴ thee of the land of the children of Ammon [any] possession; because I have given¹ it unto the children of Lot [for] a possession.

(That also was accounted¹¹ a land of giants: giants dwelt¹ therein in old time; and the Ammonites call⁴ them Zamzummims;

A people great, and many, and tall,⁶ as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed⁵⁵ them before them; and they succeeded⁴ them, and dwelt⁴ in their stead:

As he did¹ to the children of Esau, which dwelt⁶ in Seir, when he destroyed⁵² the Horims ²⁷⁵³ from before them; and they succeeded⁴ them, and dwelt⁴ in their stead even unto this day:

And the Avims which dwelt⁶ in Hazerim, [even] unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth⁶ out of Caphtor, destroyed⁵² them, and dwelt⁴ in their stead.)

Rise ye up,³ take your journey,³ and pass over³ the river Arnon: behold,³ I have given¹ into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin⁵⁴ to possess³ [it], and contend¹⁰⁰ with him in battle.

This day will I begin⁵⁵ to put² the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations [that are] under the whole heaven, who shall hear⁴ report of thee, and shall tremble,¹ and be in anguish¹ because of thee.

And I sent⁴ messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,²

Let me pass⁴ through thy land: I will go⁴ along by the high way, ¹⁸⁷⁰ I will neither turn⁴ unto the right hand nor to the left.

Thou shalt sell⁵⁵ me meat for money, that I may eat;¹ and give⁴ me water for money, that I may drink:¹ only I will pass⁴ through on my feet;

(As the children of Esau which dwell⁶ in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell⁶ in Ar, did¹ unto me;) until I shall pass over⁴ Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth⁶ us.

But Sihon king of Heshbon would¹ not let us pass⁵³ by him: for the LORD thy God hardened⁵² his spirit, and made his heart obstinate,¹⁴ that he might deliver² him into thy hand, as [appeareth] this day.

And the LORD said⁴ unto me, Behold,³ I have begun⁵² to give² Sihon and his land before thee: begin⁵⁴ to possess,³ that thou mayest inherit² his land.

Then Sihon came out⁴ against² us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

And the LORD our God delivered⁴ him before us; and we smote⁵⁵ him, and his sons, and all his people.

And we took⁴ all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed⁵⁵ the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left⁵² none to remain:

Only the cattle we took for a prey¹ unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.¹

From Aroer, which [is] by the brink of the river of Arnon, and [from] the city that [is] by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong¹ for us: the LORD our God delivered¹ all unto us:

Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest¹ not, [nor] unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad¹⁴ us.