Numbers 20:14-21
English Standard Version
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.
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Numbers 20:14-21
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Edom Denies Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel(A) says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. 15 Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. 16 When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice, sent an angel,[a](B) and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. 17 Please let us travel through your land. We won’t travel through any field or vineyard, or drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway; we won’t turn to the right or the left until we have traveled through your territory.’”(C)
18 But Edom answered him, “You must not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
19 “We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price.(D) There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”
20 Yet Edom insisted, “You must not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people.[b] 21 Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 20:16 Or a messenger
- Numbers 20:20 Lit with numerous people and a strong hand
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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