1Then we turned , and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea , as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days . 2And the LORD spake unto me, saying , 3Ye have compassed this mountain long enough : turn you northward . 4And command thou the people , saying , Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau , which dwell in Seir ; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 5Meddle not 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 unto Esau for a possession . 6Ye shall buy meat of them for money , that ye may eat ; and ye shall also buy water of them for money , that ye may drink . 7For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand : he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness : these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing . 8And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau , which dwelt in Seir , through the way of the plain from Elath , and from Ezion-gaber , we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab .
The Wilderness Experience
9And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites , neither contend with them in battle : for I will not give thee of their land for a possession ; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession . 10The Emims dwelt therein in times past , a people great , and many , and tall , as the Anakims ; 11Which also were accounted giants , as the Anakims ; but the Moabites call them Emims . 12The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime ; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession , which the LORD gave unto them. 13Now rise up , said I , and get you over the brook Zered . And we went over the brook Zered . 14And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea , until we were come over the brook Zered , was thirty and eight years ; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host , as the LORD sware unto them. 15For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host , until they were consumed .
Conquest of the Amorites
16So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people , 17That the LORD spake unto me, saying , 18Thou art to pass over through Ar , the coast of Moab , this day : 19And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon , distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession ; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession . 20(That also was accounted a land of giants : giants dwelt therein in old time ; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims ; 21A people great , and many , and tall , as the Anakims ; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: 22As he did to the children of Esau , which dwelt in Seir , when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day : 23And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim , even unto Azzah , the Caphtorims , which came forth out of Caphtor , destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.) 24Rise ye up , take your journey , and pass over the river Arnon : behold , I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite , king of Heshbon , and his land : begin to possess it , and contend with him in battle . 25This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven , who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble , and be in anguish because of thee .
The Land of the Giants
26And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace , saying , 27Let me pass through thy land : I will go along by the high way , I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left . 28Thou shalt sell me meat for money , that I may eat ; and give me water for money , that I may drink : only I will pass through on my feet ; 29(As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir , and the Moabites which dwell in Ar , did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us. 30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit , and made his heart obstinate , that he might deliver him into thy hand , as appeareth this day . 31And the LORD said unto me, Behold , I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess , that thou mayest inherit his land . 32Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people , to fight at Jahaz . 33And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons , and all his people . 34And 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 none to remain : 35Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took . 36From 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 strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us : 37Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok , nor unto the cities in the mountains , nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.