Deuteronomy 2

1We turned and set out into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as Yahweh spoke to me, and we circled Mount Seir many days.

2Yahweh said to me, saying.

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

4Charge the people, saying, 'You are passing through the territory of your brothers, the sons of Esau who live in Seir; they will fear you, so guard yourselves very carefully.'

5Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land—not even a place for the sole of a foot—because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.

6Buy food from them with money, and eat; and also buy water from them with money, and drink.

7For Yahweh your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand; he has known your journeys through this great wilderness these forty years—Yahweh your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.

8We passed by our brothers, the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir, from the road of the Arabah, from Elath and Ezion Geber. We turned and passed by the road of the wilderness of Moab.

9Yahweh said to me, "Do not assail Moab or provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of his land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot as a possession."

10Formerly the Emim dwelt there, a great and numerous and tall people like the Anakim.

11Rephaim were also regarded like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

12Horites dwelt in Seir formerly, but Esau's sons dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and settled in their place, just as Israel did to the land of his inheritance, which Yahweh gave them.

13Now arise and cross the brook Zered. We crossed the brook Zered.

14The days we journeyed from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Brook were thirty-eight years, until every fighting man of that generation had perished from the camp, as Yahweh swore to them.

15Moreover, the hand of Yahweh was against them to crush them from the midst of the camp until they were finished.

16It happened when all the men of war had finished dying from among the people.

17Yahweh spoke to me, saying,

18Today you cross Ar, the border of Moab.

19When you draw near opposite the sons of Ammon, do not assault them or provoke them; for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as an inheritance, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as an inheritance.

20That land is also considered Rephaim territory; Rephaim lived there formerly, and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim.

21A great, numerous, and tall people like the Anakim; but Yahweh destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place.

22as he did for the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them; they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place to this day.

23The Avvim who dwelt in Hazerim as far as Gaza were destroyed by the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, and they settled in their place.

24Arise, set out, and cross the Arnon valley. See, I have handed Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land over to you; begin occupying it, and provoke battle with him.

25Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you upon the peoples under the whole heaven, who will hear the sound of you and tremble and writhe before you.

26I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

27Let me travel through your land along the road; I will go along the road without turning aside to the right or the left.

28Sell me food for silver, and I will eat; give me water for silver, and I will drink; only let me pass through on my feet.

29as the sons of Esau dwelling in Seir and the Moabites dwelling in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan into the land Yahweh our God is giving us.

30But Sihon, king of Heshbon, refused to let us pass by him, because Yahweh your God hardened his spirit and strengthened his heart to deliver him into your hand, as on this day.

31Yahweh said to me, "See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you; begin to possess, to possess his land."

32Sihon marched out to meet us—he and all his people—for battle at Jahaz.

33Yahweh our God handed him over before us, and we struck him, his sons, and all his people.

34We captured all his cities at that time and devoted the men of every city, the women, and the little ones to destruction; we left no survivor.

35We took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves, along with the spoil of the cities we captured.

36From Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon river, and the city that is in the valley, to Gilead, there was no city safe from us; Yahweh our God gave all of them to us.

37Only you did not approach the land of the children of Ammon, all the bank of the Jabbok River, the cities of the hill country, and whatever Yahweh our God commanded.