Deuteronomy 2

Israel Turns toward the Wilderness

1“Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds, as the LORD had spoken to me, and we went around Mount Seir many days. 2Then the LORD spoke to me, saying, 3‘You have gone around this mountain long enough. Turn northward.

Do Not Fight Edom

4Command the people, saying, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the children of Esau who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so be very careful. 5Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough for the sole of a foot to tread, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6You shall buy food from them with silver so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with silver so that you may drink. 7For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”’

Israel Passes by Moab

8“So we passed by our brothers, the children of Esau who live in Seir, away from the way of the Arabah, from Elath and Ezion-Geber.

Then we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. 9The LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab and do not contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot as a possession.’ 10The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. 11They also were regarded as Rephaim, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12The Horites also formerly lived in Seir, but the children of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and lived in their place, just as Israel did to the land of his possession that the LORD gave to them.

The Wilderness Generation Passes Away

13“‘Now rise and cross the Wadi Zered.’ So we crossed the Wadi Zered. 14The time that we traveled from Kadesh-Barnea until we crossed the Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war had come to an end from the midst of the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. 15Indeed, the hand of the LORD was against them to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they came to an end.

Do Not Fight Ammon

16“When all the men of war had finished dying from among the people, 17The LORD spoke to me, saying, 18‘Today you are crossing the border of Moab at Ar. 19When you approach opposite the children of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the children of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the children of Lot as a possession.’ 20It also is regarded as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21a people great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and lived in their place, 22just as he did for the children of Esau who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them, and they dispossessed them and lived in their place to this day. 23And the Avvim who lived in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim who came out from Caphtor destroyed them and lived in their place.

Rise and Take Possession of Sihon’s Land

24“‘Rise, set out, and cross the Wadi Arnon. See, 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. 25This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples under all the heavens, who will hear the report of you and tremble and writhe because of you.’

Sihon Refuses Passage

26“Then I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 27‘Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will not turn aside to the right or to the left. 28You 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, 29just as the children of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God is giving us.’ 30But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing to let us pass through him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborn, in order to give him into your hand, as he is this day.

Israel Defeats Sihon

31“The LORD said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you. Begin to possess, so that you may possess his land.’ 32Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, for battle at Jahaz. 33The LORD our God gave him before us, and we struck him, his sons, and all his people. 34We captured all his cities at that time and devoted every city to destruction—men, women, and little children. We left no survivor. 35Only the livestock we took as plunder for ourselves, along with the spoil of the cities that we captured. 36From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Wadi Arnon, and the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was no city too high for us. The LORD our God gave all before us. 37Only to the land of the children of Ammon you did not draw near: all the side of the Wadi Jabbok, the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us not to go.