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)

³⁶ When Balak^(A) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon^(B) border, at the edge of his territory.

The Bronze Snake

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor^(A) along the route to the Red Sea,^[a](B) to go around Edom.^(C) But the people grew impatient on the way;^{(D) 5} they spoke against God^(E) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt^(F) to die in the wilderness?^(G) There is no bread! There is no water!^(H) And we detest this miserable food!”^(I)

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^(J) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^{(K) 7} The people came to Moses^(L) and said, “We sinned^(M) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord^(N) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed^(O) for the people.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;^(P) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake^(Q) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.^(R)

The Journey to Moab

¹⁰ The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.^{(S) 11} Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab^(T) toward the sunrise. ¹² From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.^{(U) 13} They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon^(V), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.^(W)

The Death of Aaron

²² The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh^(A) and came to Mount Hor.^(B)