(LY: iv) ¹⁴ Moshe sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “This is what your brother Isra’el says: you know all the troubles we have gone through — ¹⁵ that our ancestors went down into Egypt, we lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. ¹⁶ But when we cried out to Adonai, he heard us, sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Now here we are in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your territory. ¹⁷ Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through fields or vineyards, and we won’t drink any water from the wells. We will go along the King’s Highway, not turning aside either to the right or to the left until we have left your territory.”

¹⁸ But Edom answered, “You are not to pass through my land; if you do, I will come out against you with the sword.” ¹⁹ The people of Isra’el replied, “We will keep to the highway; if we do drink the water, either we or our livestock, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through on foot — it’s nothing.” ²⁰ But he said, “You are not to pass through”; and Edom came out against them with many people and much force. ²¹ Thus Edom refused to allow Isra’el passage through its territory, so Isra’el turned away.