Deuteronomy 2:1-8

Contemporary English Version

2 ^1 (A) We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir,^{[a] 2} until the Lord said:

Moses, ³ Israel has wandered in these hills long enough. Turn and go north. ^4 (B) 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.^[b] 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.^[c] 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.