Deuteronomy Chapter 2
Israel’s Wanderings Remembered
1 “We turned around and set out for the desert toward the Red Sea like Yahveh instructed me, and we circled Mount Seir for a long time. 2 He told me, 3 ’You’ve circled this mountain long enough; turn north. 4 Tell the people, “Go through the territory of your relatives, Esau’s descendants, who live in Seir. 5 Don’t stir them up; I won’t give you a foot of their land. I’ve given Mount Seir to Esau. 6 Buy food and water from them so you can eat and drink. 7 Yahveh has blessed you in everything you’ve done. He has known your wanderings through this big desert. He’s been with you 40 years. You haven’t lacked anything.”’
Deut 2:1-7
8 “So we went past Esau’s descendants in Seir, away from the Arabah Road, away from Elath and Ezion-geber. We turned and passed through the Wilderness of Moab. 9 Yahveh told me, ‘Don’t harass Moab or stir them up to war, because I won’t give you any of their land. I’ve given Ar to Lot’s descendants. [ 10 The Emim lived there before, a people as big, numerous, and tall as the Anakim. 11 Like the Anakim they’re considered Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites had previously lived in Seir, but Esau’s descendants destroyed them and replaced them, like Israel did to the land Yahveh gave them.] 13 Cross Wadi Zered.’ 14 It took 38 years to get from Kadesh-barnea across Wadi Zered. That whole generation of soldiers died—like Yahveh swore. 15 Besides, he opposed them, destroying them from inside the camp.
16 “When those soldiers had perished, 17 Yahveh told me, 18 ‘Cross over Ar, the border of Moab today. 19 When you get across from Ammon, don’t harass them; I won’t give you any Ammonite land. I’ve given it to Lot’s descendants. [ 20 It’s regarded as the land of Rephaim as well because they lived in it before. The Ammonites call them Zamzummin, 21 a people as big, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, but Yahveh destroyed them in front of the Ammonites. They drove them out and replaced them, 22 like he did for Esau’s descendants in Seir. He destroyed the Horites. They drove them out and have settled in their place till now. 23 The Philistines came from Crete and destroyed the Avvim that lived in villages as far as Gaza and lived in their place.]
Defeat of King Sihon
24 Pass through Wadi Arnon. I’ve given you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Start taking it over and confront him in battle. 25 Today I’m beginning to put the fear of you on nations all around so when they hear about you, they’ll tremble with dread.’
Deut 2:8-25
26 “I sent ambassadors from the Wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon with offers of peace, 27 ‘Let me go through your land. I’ll stay on the highway. 28 Sell me food and water. Just let me go through on foot— 29 like the descendants of Esau and the Moabites did—till I cross the Jordan to the land Yahveh is giving us.’ 30 Sihon wouldn’t let us. Yahveh had hardened his spirit and made him stubborn to deliver him to you. 31 He told me, ‘I’ve started to deliver Sihon and his land to you. Start occupying it.’
32 “Sihon and his people came out to fight us at Jahaz. 33 Yahveh delivered him, his sons, and his people to us. 34 We captured his towns, and completely wiped out their men, women, and children. 35 We just took the animals as spoil. 36 From Aroer on the edge of Arnon valley and from the city that’s in the valley, all the way to Gilead no city was too strong for us. Yahveh delivered them to us. 37 You didn’t go near the land of the Ammonites—along Wadi Jabbok and the towns in the hill country—or wherever Yahveh else prohibited. Deut 2:26-37