⁴¹ Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

⁴² But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”^(A)

⁴³ So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. ⁴⁴ The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees^(B) and beat you down from Seir^(C) all the way to Hormah.^{(D) 45} You came back and wept before the Lord,^(E) but he paid no attention^(F) to your weeping and turned a deaf ear^(G) to you. ⁴⁶ And so you stayed in Kadesh^(H) many days—all the time you spent there.

Wanderings in the Wilderness

2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,^[a](A) as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.^(B)

² Then the Lord said to me, ³ “You have made your way around this hill country long enough;^(C) now turn north. ⁴ Give the people these orders:^(D) ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau,^(E) who live in Seir.^(F) They will be afraid^(G) 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.^{(H) 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^(I) over your journey through this vast wilderness.^(J) These forty years^(K) the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.^(L)

⁸ So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from^(M) the Arabah^(N) road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber,^(O) and traveled along the desert road of Moab.^(P)