⁴ From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,^[a] to go around the land of Edom, but the people became discouraged on the way.^(A)

¹⁸ Then they journeyed through the wilderness, went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, arrived on the east side of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.^(A)

⁹ Moses told this to the Israelites, but they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery.

⁷ Why will you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land that the Lord has given them?^(A)

³ so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for.^{(A) 4} In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know.

²² There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.”^(A)

⁴¹ They set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

⁹ When they went up to the Wadi Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land that the Lord had given them.

⁵ not to engage in battle with them, for I will not give you even so much as a foot’s length of their land, since I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.^{(A) 6} You shall purchase food from them for money, so that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them for money, so that you may drink. ⁷ Surely the Lord your God has blessed you in all your undertakings; he knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” ’^{(B) 8} So we passed by our kin, the descendants of Esau who live in Seir, leaving behind the route of the Arabah and leaving behind Elath and Ezion-geber.

“When we had headed out along the route of the wilderness of Moab,^(C)

⁴⁰ But as for you, journey back into the wilderness, in the direction of the Red Sea.’^[a](A)