26 From the Desert of Kedemoth(A) I sent messengers to Sihon(B) king of Heshbon offering peace(C) and saying, 27 “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left.(D) 28 Sell us food to eat(E) and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot(F) 29 as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord(G) your God had made his spirit stubborn(H) and his heart obstinate(I) in order to give him into your hands,(J) as he has now done.

31 The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”(K)

32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle(L) at Jahaz, 33 the Lord our God delivered(M) him over to us and we struck him down,(N) together with his sons and his whole army. 34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed[a](O) them—men, women and children. We left no survivors. 35 But the livestock(P) and the plunder(Q) from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. 36 From Aroer(R) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead,(S) not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave(T) us all of them. 37 But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God,(U) you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites,(V) neither the land along the course of the Jabbok(W) nor that around the towns in the hills.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 2:34 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

26 (A)So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 27 ‘Let me pass through your land; I will [a]travel only on the road. I will not turn aside to the right or to the left. 28 You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, (B)only let me pass through on [b]foot, 29 just as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in (C)Ar did for me, until I cross over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving us.’ 30 But (D)Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass [c]through his land; for the (E)Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to hand him over to you, as he is today. 31 And the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to turn Sihon and his land over [d]to you. Begin taking possession, so that you may possess his land.’

32 “Then Sihon came out [e]with all his people to meet us in battle at Jahaz. 33 And (F)the Lord our God turned him over [f]to us, and we [g](G)defeated him with his sons and all his people. 34 So we captured all his cities at that time and [h](H)utterly destroyed [i]the men, women, and children of every city. We left no survivor. 35 We took (I)only the animals as our plunder, and the spoils of the cities which we had captured. 36 From (J)Aroer which is on the edge of the [j]Valley of Arnon and from the city which is in the [k]valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too [l]high for us; the Lord our God turned it all over [m]to us. 37 (K)Only you did not go near the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the [n]river (L)Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the Lord our God had commanded us to avoid.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 2:27 Lit go on the road, on the road
  2. Deuteronomy 2:28 Lit my feet
  3. Deuteronomy 2:30 Lit by him
  4. Deuteronomy 2:31 Lit before you
  5. Deuteronomy 2:32 Lit he and
  6. Deuteronomy 2:33 Lit before us
  7. Deuteronomy 2:33 Lit struck
  8. Deuteronomy 2:34 Or put under the ban
  9. Deuteronomy 2:34 Lit every city of men...
  10. Deuteronomy 2:36 Or wadi
  11. Deuteronomy 2:36 Or wadi
  12. Deuteronomy 2:36 Or strong
  13. Deuteronomy 2:36 Lit before us
  14. Deuteronomy 2:37 Or wadi