⁴¹ Then you answered me, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, just as the Lord our God commanded us to do.” So each man among you strapped on his weapons of war, and you thought it would be easy to go up to the hill country.

⁴² But the Lord instructed me: “Say to them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be among you to keep you from being struck down by your enemies.’” ⁴³ So I spoke to you, but you did not listen. You rebelled against the command of the Lord and acted presumptuously by going up to the hill country anyway. ⁴⁴ Then the Amorites living in the hill country went out to meet you. They pursued you like bees, and they struck you down in Seir all the way to Hormah. ⁴⁵ Then you returned and you cried out before the Lord, but the Lord did not pay attention to the noise you made. He did not listen to you. ⁴⁶ So you stayed in Kadesh many days—those well-known days that you stayed there.