Edom Denies Passage

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. “Thus says your brother, Israel:

‘You know all the hardship that came on us. ¹⁵ Our forefathers went down to Egypt, so we lived there for a very long time. The Egyptians mistreated us, and our fathers. ¹⁶ But we cried out to Adonai, He heard our cry, sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. See now, we are at Kadesh, a town on the frontier of your territory. ¹⁷ Permit us to pass through your territory. We will not cross through any field or vineyard or drink water of any well. But we will travel on the king’s highway. We will not deviate to the right or left until we will have passed through your territory.’”

¹⁸ But Edom said to him, “You may not pass through me—or I will march out against you with the sword.”

¹⁹ Bnei-Yisrael then said to him, “We will travel on the main road, and if we or our livestock even drink any of your water, we will pay its price. It’s nothing, just to pass through on foot!”

²⁰ He answered, “You may not pass through!” Yet Edom came out to oppose them with a large and well-armed people. ²¹ Since Edom refused to permit Israel to cross through her territory, Israel turned away from them.

²⁰ Early in the morning they arose and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Adonai your God and you will be confirmed. Trust in His prophets and you will succeed.” ²¹ After consulting with the people, he appointed singers to Adonai praising the splendor of His holiness, as they went out before the army saying,

“Praise Adonai,

`for His mercy endures forever.”

²² As they began singing and praising, Adonai set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ For the Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to exterminate and annihilate them. When they had exterminated the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ When Judah came to the lookout in the wilderness and looked for the multitude, behold, only corpses were lying on the ground—no one had escaped. ²⁵ When Jehoshaphat and his people went to take the plunder, they found an abundance of goods, clothing and precious articles, which they pillaged, more than they could carry away. For three days they were taking the plunder because there was so much. ²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Bracha^[a] where they blessed Adonai. That is why the name of that place is called the Valley of Bracha to this day.

²⁷ Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem for Adonai had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They came to Jerusalem to the House of Adonai with harps, lyres and trumpets. ²⁹ So the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the region because they heard that Adonai had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was untroubled for his God gave him rest all around.

Nations Conspire Against Israel

Psalm 83