We turned and traveled into the wilderness by way of the Reed Sea [route] as Adonoy had told me, and we circled Mount Seir a long time.

Adonoy said to me to say,

‘‘Enough of you circling this mountain! Turn yourselves northward.

And command the people as follows, ‘‘You are crossing into the border of your brothers, the descendants of Eisov who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so you must be extrememly cautious.

Do not incite them. For I will not give you of their land as much as a footstep, because for Eisov’s inheritance have I designated Mount Seir.

Food are you to buy from them with money and eat [it]; also water are you to purchase from them with money and drink [it.]

For Adonoy, your God, has blessed you in all your handiwork; He has been intimately concerned with your [given you sufficient for your needs for] traversing this great wilderness. It is now forty years [that] [the word of] Adonoy, your God, is accompanying you [has aided you]; you have lacked nothing.’’

We passed over from our brothers, the descendants of Eisov, who live in Seir, from the Arava road, from Eilas and from Etzyon-Gover. We turned and passed over by way of the wilderness of Moav.

Adonoy said to me, ‘‘Do not besiege Moav and do not intimidate them with [to make] war [with them]. For I will not give you [any] of his land as inheritance, for to Lot’s descendants have I given Or [Lechoyas] as inheritance.

The Eimim originally lived there—a people great and numerous and powerful like the Anokim [giants].

They, too, were considered Refaim [giants] like the Anokim [giants]; the Moabites called them Eimim.

And in Seir lived the Chorim originally, but the descendants of Eisov inherited them and drove them out [to make room] for themselves and settled in their stead [places], as Yisroel will have done to the land of its inheritance that Adonoy has given them.

Now, arise and cross for yourselves Wadi Zered.’’ And we crossed Wadi Zered.

The time that [it took] us to go from Kadeish Barnei’a [Rekam Geyah] until we crossed Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, until the end of the entire generation, the men of war, from within the camp, as Adonoy had sworn about them.

[From before] Adonoy’s plague, too, attacked them to rout [destroy] them from within the camp, until their end.

When they had finished—all the men of war—to die out from among the people;

Adonoy addressed me, to say,

‘‘You are today crossing the border of Moav—at ‘Or [Lechoyas].

When you approach [the area] facing the descendants of Ammon, do not besiege [make war with] them and do not intimidate them, for I will not give you of the land of the descendants of Ammon an inheritance, because to the descendants of Lot have I given it as an inheritance.

It, too, is considered a land of giants; giants having lived in it originally—the Ammonites called them Zamzumim [Chushbani].

A people great and numerous and powerful like the Anokim [giants]. Adonoy destroyed them from before them, and they drove them out and settled in their stead [place].

As He had done to the descendants of Eisov living in Seir, from before whom He destroyed the Chori, and they drove them out and settled in their stead [places] until today.

And the Avim who had been living in Chatzeirim [Defiach] till Azah—Caftorim [Kaputka’ites] who had left Caftor [Kaputkayah] destroyed them and settled in their stead [place].

Arise to travel, and cross Wadi Arnon. See, I have put into your hand Sichon, King of Cheshbon, the Emorite and his land—begin inheriting [it] by intimidating him with [waging] war [with him].

Today I begin to place fear of you and awe of you upon the peoples under the whole heaven, so that they will hear your reputation and will shiver and tremble before you.’’

I sent emissaries from the wilderness of Kedeimos to Sichon, King of Cheshbon, with the following peaceful statement:

‘‘Let me pass through your land. I will travel only on the highway, I will not deviate right or left.

Food for money sell me so I can eat, and water for money sell me so I can drink—just let me cross on foot.

As the descendants of Eisov did for me who live in Seir and the Moavites who live in Or [Lechoyas]; until I will have crossed the Yardein into the land that Adonoy, our God, is giving us.’’

But Sichon, King of Cheshbon, was not willing to let us traverse it [would not permit us to pass through his borders], because Adonoy, your God, had hardened his spirit and emboldened his mind in order to put him in your hand this day.

Adonoy said to me, ‘‘See, I have begun defeating before you Sichon and his land. Begin inheriting—to inherit his land.’’

And Sichon went out toward us, he and his entire people, to wage war in Yahatz.

Adonoy, our God, defeated [delivered] him before us, and we smote him and his sons and his entire people.

We conquered all his cities at that time and annihilated every city’s men, woman, and children; we left no survivor.

Only the animals we plundered for ourselves, and the booty of the cities that we conquered.

From Aroer, which is on the bank of Wadi Arnon—and the city that is in the wadi—up to Gilad, there was no city that was stronger than we. All of it did Adonoy, our God, defeat before us.

Only the land of the descendants of Ammon did you not attack—all along [the shore of] Wadi Yabok and the hill cities—everything Adonoy, our God, commanded.