⁸ “So we bypassed the territory of our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We avoided the road through the Arabah Valley that comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber.

“Then as we turned north along the desert route through Moab,

²⁶ King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, a port near Elath^[a] in the land of Edom, along the shore of the Red Sea.^[b]

⁶ At that time the king of Edom^[a] recovered the town of Elath for Edom.^[b] He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites^[c] to live there, as they do to this day.

²² After his father’s death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah.

Introduction to Moses’ First Address

1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley^[a] near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

³⁵ They left Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.

²⁰ But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. ²¹ Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.