1 We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir, 2 until the Lord said:
Moses, 3 Israel has wandered in these hills long enough. Turn and go north. 4 And give the people these orders: “Be very careful, because you will soon go through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They are afraid of you, 5 but don't start a war with them. I have given them the hill country of Seir, so I won't give any of it to you, not even enough to set a foot on. 6 And as you go through their land, you will have to buy food and water from them.”
7 The Lord has helped us and taken care of us during the past 40 years that we have been in this huge desert. We've had everything we needed, and the Lord has blessed us and made us successful in whatever we have done.
8 We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned onto the desert road that leads to Moab.
9 The Lord told me, “Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it.”
Tribes That Lived near Canaan
10 Before the Lord gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. 11 The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim.
12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the Lord gave them.
Israel Crossed the Zered Gorge
Moses said to Israel:
13 When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the Lord told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did. 14 This was 38 years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the Lord had said they would. 15-16 The Lord kept getting rid of them until finally none of them were left.
17 Then the Lord told me, 18 “Moses, now go past the town of Ar and cross Moab's northern border 19 into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel.”
More Nations That Lived near Canaan
20 Before the Ammonites conquered the land that the Lord had given them, some of the Rephaim used to live there, although the Ammonites called them Zamzummim. 21 The Zamzummim were a large and powerful tribe and were as tall as the Anakim. But the Lord helped the Ammonites, and they killed many of the Zamzummim and forced the rest to leave. Then the Ammonites settled there. 22 The Lord helped them as he had helped the Edomites, who killed many of the Horites in Seir and forced the rest to leave before settling there themselves.
23 A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land.
Israel Crossed the Arnon Gorge
Moses said:
24 After we went through Ammon, the Lord told us:
Israel, pack up your possessions, take down your tents, and cross the Arnon River gorge. The territory of the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon lies on the other side of the river, but I now give you his land. So attack and take it! 25 Today I will start making all other nations afraid of you. They will tremble with fear when anyone mentions you, and they will be terrified when you show up.
The Defeat of King Sihon of Heshbon
(Numbers 21.21-30)Moses said to Israel:
26 After we had crossed the Arnon and had set up camp in the Kedemoth Desert, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon, telling him that his nation and ours could be at peace. I said:
27 Please let Israel go across your country. We will walk straight through, without turning off the road. 28-29 You can even sell us food and water, and we will pay with silver. We need to reach the Jordan River and cross it, because the Lord our God is giving us the land on the west side. The Edomites and Moabites have already let us cross their land. Please let us cross your land as well.
30-31 But Sihon refused to let us go across his country, because the Lord made him stubborn and eager to fight us. The Lord told me, “I am going to help you defeat Sihon and take his land, so attack him!”
32 We met Sihon and his army in battle at Jahaz, 33 and the Lord our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army. 34 Then we captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom, killing everyone, 35 but keeping the livestock and everything else of value. 36 The Lord helped us capture every town from the Arnon River gorge north to the boundary of Gilead, including the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge and the town in the middle of the gorge.
37 However, we stayed away from all the Ammonite towns, both in the hill country and near the Jabbok River, just as the Lord had commanded.
Klejojumu gadi tuksnesī
1 Tad mēs gājām un pa tuksnesi devāmies ceļā uz Niedru jūru, kā Kungs man bija teicis, un ilgu laiku klejojām ap Seīra kalniem.
2 Un Kungs man teica: 3 gana jums klīst ap šiem kalniem! Dodieties uz ziemeļiem! 4 Pavēli tautai: jūs iesiet cauri savu brāļu, Ēsava dēlu, robežām, kur tie mīt Seīrā, un tie baidīsies no jums. Bet lūkojiet, 5 ka jūs necīnāties ar tiem, jo no viņu zemēm es jums nedošu pat ne pēdu, jo Seīra kalnus es esmu devis īpašumā Edomam. 6 Ēdienu no tiem pērciet par sudrabu un ēdiet, un ūdeni no tiem pērciet par sudrabu un dzeriet. 7 Jo Kungs, tavs Dievs, ir svētījis tevi, viņš zina visu, ko tu darīji, kā tu gāji cauri šim lielajam tuksnesim. Visus šos četrdesmit gadus Kungs, tavs Dievs, bija ar tevi – tev nekā netrūka.
8 Un mēs pagājām garām saviem brāļiem, Ēsava dēliem, kas dzīvoja Seīrā, pa ceļu no Ēlatas un Ecjon-Geberas uz klajumiem, un mēs pagriezāmies un devāmies uz Moāba tuksnesi. 9 Un Kungs man teica: nenaidojies ar Moābu un necīnies ar to karā, jo no viņa zemes es tev neko nedošu par īpašumu, Āru es esmu devis par īpašumu Lata dēliem. 10 Tur iepriekš dzīvoja emieši – liela un kupla tauta, tie bija gari kā anākieši. 11 Tāpat kā anākiešus tos uzskatīja par milžiem, bet moābieši tos sauca par emiešiem. 12 Seīrā agrāk dzīvoja horieši, bet Ēsava dēli viņus padzina, iznīcināja un apmetās viņu vietā, tāpat kā Israēls darīja ar savu īpašuma zemi, ko Kungs tam deva. 13 Tagad celieties un dodieties pāri Zeredas upei! Un mēs pārcēlāmies pār Zeredas upi. 14 Laiks no tā brīža, kad mēs devāmies ceļā no Kādēš-Barnēas, līdz kamēr pārcēlāmies Zeredas upei, bija trīsdesmit astoņi gadi – no nometnes bija iznīkusi visa paaudze, kas toreiz bija karotāji, kā Kungs tiem bija zvērējis. 15 Tiešām, Kunga roka bija pret tiem, lai izdeldētu tos no nometnes, līdz tie pavisam iznīka.
16 Un, kad bija pagalam visi karotāji, kad tie no tautas bija iznīkuši, 17 tad Kungs runāja uz mani, sacīdams: 18 šodien pie Āras tev jāpāriet Moāba robeža! 19 Un, kad tu tuvosies Amona dēliem, tad nenaidojies un nekaro ar tiem, jo no Amona dēlu zemes es tev īpašumu nedošu, to es esmu devis īpašumā Lata dēliem. 20 Tā ir zināma arī kā milžu zeme, tur agrāk dzīvoja milži, bet amonieši tos sauca par tarkšķiem. 21 Tā bija liela un stipra tauta – stalti kā anākieši, bet Kungs tos iznīcināja amoniešu priekšā, viņi tos padzina un apmetās to vietā, 22 tāpat viņš darīja Ēsava dēliem, kas dzīvoja Seīrā, kad viņš iznīcināja to priekšā horiešus, un tie padzina viņus un apmetās viņu vietā. 23 Un aviešus, kas mita ciematos līdz Gazai, iznīcināja kaftorieši, kas atnāca no Kaftoras un apmetās viņu vietā. 24 Celies, dodies ceļā un celies pār Arnonas upi! Redzi, es esmu atdevis tev amorieti, Hešbonas ķēniņu Sīhonu, un viņa zemi – nevilcinies gūt īpašumu, cīnies ar viņu karā! 25 Kopš šodienas es iedvesīšu bailes un briesmas no tevis visām tautām zem debess! Tās dzirdēs par tevi, drebēs un trīcēs!
Ķēniņa Sīhona sakāve
(4Moz 21:21–32)26 No Kedēmotas tuksneša es sūtīju pie Hešbonas ķēniņa Sīhona ar miera vēsti un sacīju: 27 ļauj man iziet cauri tavai zemei – es iešu tikai pa ceļu, nenogriezīšos ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi. 28 Ēdienu tu man pārdosi par sudrabu – tad es ēdīšu, un ūdeni tu man dosi par sudrabu – un es dzeršu, es tikai kājām iziešu cauri, 29 kā man ļāva Ēsava dēli, kas mīt Seīrā, un moābieši, kas mīt Ārā, tad es pār Jardānu došos uz to zemi, ko Kungs, mūsu Dievs, mums dod! 30 Bet Hešbonas ķēniņš Sīhons negribēja laist mūs cauri, jo Kungs, tavs Dievs, bija nocietinājis viņa garu un darījis spītīgu viņa sirdi, lai todien nodotu viņu tavā rokā.
31 Un Kungs man teica: redzi, es nevilcinos dot tev Sīhonu un viņa zemi! Nevilcinies ņemt viņa zemi īpašumā! 32 Un Sīhons iznāca mums pretī – viņš un viss viņa pulks, lai karotu pie Jahacas. 33 Tad Kungs, mūsu Dievs, atdeva viņu mums, un mēs sakāvām viņu, viņa dēlus un visu viņa tautu. 34 Tolaik mēs sagrābām visas viņa pilsētas, mēs apkāvām visus vīrus, sievas un bērnus pilsētā – nepalika neviena! 35 Mēs nolaupījām tikai lopus un to, kas bija laupāms pilsētā, ko bijām sagrābuši. 36 No Aroēras, kas Arnonas upes krastā, līdz tām pilsētām, kas ielejā līdz Gileādai, nebija pilsētas, kas mums būtu nepieejama – tās visas Kungs, mūsu Dievs, atdeva mums! 37 Taču Amona dēlu zemei tu netuvojies – nevienai Jabokas upes pietekai un kalnu pilsētai, nekam, ko Kungs, mūsu Dievs, aizliedzis!
