King James Version, Updated™

(1) "Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and we circled mount Seir many days.

(2) The LORD spoke to me, saying,

(3) 'YOU have circled this mountain long enough; turn northward.

(4) Command the people, saying, "YOU are to pass through the territory of YOUR brethren the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of YOU; therefore, take care to watch yourselves.

(5) Do not meddle with them; for I will not give to YOU their land, no, not so much as the sole of your foot; because I have given mount Seir to Esau for a possession.

(6) YOU shall buy food from them with money, so that YOU may eat; and YOU shall also buy water from them with money, that YOU may drink.

(7) For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the works of your hand; he knows your journey through this great wilderness; these 40 years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing." '

(8) So when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

(9) Then the LORD said to me, 'Do not assault the Moabites, nor contend 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 Emims had dwelt there in times past, a people who were great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims.

(11) Who also were considered giants, as the Anakims, but the Moabites call them Emims.

(12) The Horims also dwelt in Seir formerly, but the children of Esau drove them out, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place, as Israel did to the land of his possession, which the LORD gave to them.

(13) Now rise up, and YOU go over the brook Zered.' So we went over the brook Zered.

(14) And the time in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we went over the brook Zered, was 38 years, until all the generation of the men of war had perished from among the camp, as the LORD swore to them.

(15) For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the camp, until they all perished.

(16) So it came to pass, when all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people,

(17) that the LORD spoke to me, saying,

(18) 'You are to pass over through Ar, the territory of Moab, this day;

(19) And when you come near the children of Ammon, do not assault them, nor meddle with 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 was considered a land of giants; giants had dwelt there formerly; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims,

(21) a people who were great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them, and they drove them out, and dwelt in their place,

(22) as he did to the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they drove them out, and dwelt in their place even to this day.

(23) And the Avims who dwelt in Hazerim, as far as Gaza, the Caphtorims, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their place.)

(24) " 'YOU rise up, take YOUR journey, and pass over the river Arnon; behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

(25) This day I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the nations who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you.'

(26) So 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 on the highway, I will neither turn to the right hand nor to the left.

(28) You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on my feet;

(29) (As the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did for me,) until I shall cross over the 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 obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as he has done this day.

(31) And the LORD said to me, 'Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you; begin to possess it, 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 to us; and we defeated him, and his sons, and all his people.

(34) We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city; we left we left none remaining.

(35) We only took the animals as plunder for ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we took.

(36) From Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even to Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the LORD our God delivered them all to us.

(37) Only you did not come to the land of the children of Ammon, nor to any place on the river Jabbok, nor to the cities in the mountains, nor to wherever the LORD our God forbad us."