^17 (A)Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ ^(B)but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel ^(C)remained at Kadesh.

Edom Refuses Passage

^14 (A)Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to ^(B)the king of Edom: “Thus says ^(C)your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: ^15 (D)how our fathers went down to Egypt, ^(E)and we lived in Egypt a long time. ^(F)And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. ¹⁶ And ^(G)when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and ^(H)sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. ^17 (I)Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, ^(J)or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” ¹⁸ But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” ¹⁹ And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, ^(K)and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, ^(L)then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” ²⁰ But he said, ^(M)“You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. ²¹ Thus Edom ^(N)refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel ^(O)turned away from him.

The Death of Miriam

20 And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came ^(A)into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And ^(B)Miriam died there and was buried there.

^9 (A)Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. ^(B)And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you,

^29 (A)as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.’

⁴ and command the people, “You are about to pass through the territory of ^(A)your brothers, the people of Esau, ^(B)who live in Seir; and ^(C)they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. ⁵ Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because ^(D)I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. ^6 (E)You shall purchase food from them with money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink. ⁷ For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. ^(F)He knows your going through this great wilderness. ^(G)These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”’ ⁸ So ^(H)we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from ^(I)the Arabah road from ^(J)Elath and ^(K)Ezion-geber.

“And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. ⁹ And the Lord said to me, ^(L)‘Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given ^(M)Ar to ^(N)the people of Lot for a possession.’