Deuteronomy 2

1. “Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me. And we went around Mount Seir many days.

2. And the LORD spoke to me, saying,

3. ‘You have gone around this mountain long enough. Turn northward.

4. And command the people saying, “You are to pass through the border of your brothers, the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir. And they shall be afraid of you. Therefore be careful.

5. Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession.

6. You shall buy food from them for silver so that you may eat. And you shall also buy water from them for silver so that you may drink.

7. For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the works of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these forty years. You have lacked nothing.” ’

8. And when we left our brothers the sons of Esau who lived in Seir, through the way of the Arabah from Elath, and from Ezion Geber, we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab.

9. And the LORD said to me, ‘Do not besiege Moab, nor fight with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.’ ”

10. (The Emim lived there in times past, a great people, who were many and tall like the Anakim.

11. And they were also known as giants, like the sons of Anak, but the Moabites called them Emim.

12. The Horim also lived in Seir in times past. But the children of Esau took their place when they had destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place; as Israel did to the land of his possession which the LORD gave to them.)

13. ” ‘Now rise up and cross over the brook Zered.’ And we went over the brook Zered.

14. And the days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea until we had come over the brook Zered were thirty-eight years, until the entire generation had perished and the men of war were destroyed from the camp, as the LORD swore to them.

15. And the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the camp until they were consumed.

16. And so it came to pass, when all the men of war from among the people had finished dying,

17. The LORD spoke to me, saying,

18. ‘Today you are passing over the border of Moab, even Ar.

19. And when you come near, across from the children of Ammon, do not trouble them nor be stirred up against them. For I will not give you any possessions from the land of the children of Ammon because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.’ ”

20. (It also was known to be a land of giants. Giants lived there in past times. And the Ammonites call them Zamzumim,

21. A great and plentiful people, and tall like the sons of Anak, but the LORD destroyed them before them. And they expelled them and lived in their place,

22. As He did to the children of Esau who lived in Seir when he destroyed the Horim from before them. And they expelled them and lived in their place even to this day.

23. And the Avim who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.)

24. ” ‘Rise up, set out and cross over the river Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess, and fight against him in battle.

25. Today, I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you upon the nations under the whole heavens who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’

26. And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth 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 neither turn to the right hand nor to the left.

28. You shall sell me food for silver so that I may eat, and give me water for silver so that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot,

29. As the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who live in Ar, did to me until I shall cross over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God gives us.’

30. But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him. For the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborn so that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.

31. And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you. Begin to possess it so that you may inherit his land.’

32. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

33. And the LORD our God delivered him before us. And we struck him and his sons and all his people.

34. And we took all his cities at that time and completely destroyed the men and the women and the little ones of every city. We left none to remain.

35. Only we plundered the livestock for ourselves, and we took the spoil of the cities.

36. From Aroer, by the brink of the river of Arnon, and the city by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us. The LORD our God delivered all to us.

37. Only to the land of the children of Ammon you did not come, neither to any place along the river Jabbok, nor to the cities in the mountains, nor to whatever the LORD our God denied us.”