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Deuteronomy 2:4-19
Contemporary English Version
Deuteronomy 2:4-19
Contemporary English Version
4 (A) 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.[a] 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.[b] 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 (B) The Lord told me, “Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar[c] to them,[d] 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[e] for both the Anakim and the Emim.
12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites[f] 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 (C) 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[g] 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 (D) into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them[h] their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2.4 your relatives, the descendants of Esau: Esau was the brother of Jacob, the ancestor of the nation of Israel. Esau's descendants were also known as the nation of Edom.
- 2.8 We went past … Esau: According to Numbers 20.14-21, the king of Edom did not let the Israelites go through his land.
- 2.9 Ar: One of the main cities of Moab (see Numbers 21.28); sometimes it may have stood for the whole territory of Moab.
- 2.9 them: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Lot”; the nation of Moab descended from Moab, who was the son of Lot, the nephew of Abraham.
- 2.10,11 Emim … Anakim … Rephaim: These may refer to a group or groups of very tall people that lived in or near Palestine before the Israelites (see also Numbers 13.33).
- 2.12 Edomites: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Esau,” who became the nation of Edom.
- 2.15,16 getting rid of: Or “sending diseases on.”
- 2.19 them: The Hebrew text has “descendants of Lot”; the nation of Ammon descended from Benammi, who was the son of Lot, the nephew of Abraham.
Deuteronomy 2:4-19
New International Version
Deuteronomy 2:4-19
New International Version
4 Give the people these orders:(A) ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau,(B) who live in Seir.(C) They will be afraid(D) of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.(E) 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”
7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched(F) over your journey through this vast wilderness.(G) These forty years(H) the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.(I)
8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from(J) the Arabah(K) road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber,(L) and traveled along the desert road of Moab.(M)
9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar(N) to the descendants of Lot(O) as a possession.”
10 (The Emites(P) used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.(Q) 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites,(R) but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites(S) used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did(T) in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)
13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.(U)” So we crossed the valley.
14 Thirty-eight years(V) passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea(W) until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation(X) of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.(Y) 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated(Z) them from the camp.
16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar.(AA) 19 When you come to the Ammonites,(AB) do not harass them or provoke them to war,(AC) for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.(AD)”
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