1 We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir, 2 until the Lord said:
Moses, 3 Israel has wandered in these hills long enough. Turn and go north. 4 And give the people these orders: “Be very careful, because you will soon go through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They are afraid of you, 5 but don't start a war with them. I have given them the hill country of Seir, so I won't give any of it to you, not even enough to set a foot on. 6 And as you go through their land, you will have to buy food and water from them.”
7 The Lord has helped us and taken care of us during the past 40 years that we have been in this huge desert. We've had everything we needed, and the Lord has blessed us and made us successful in whatever we have done.
8 We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned onto the desert road that leads to Moab.
9 The Lord told me, “Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it.”
Tribes That Lived near Canaan
10 Before the Lord gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. 11 The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim.
12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the Lord gave them.
Israel Crossed the Zered Gorge
Moses said to Israel:
13 When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the Lord told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did. 14 This was 38 years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the Lord had said they would. 15-16 The Lord kept getting rid of them until finally none of them were left.
17 Then the Lord told me, 18 “Moses, now go past the town of Ar and cross Moab's northern border 19 into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel.”
More Nations That Lived near Canaan
20 Before the Ammonites conquered the land that the Lord had given them, some of the Rephaim used to live there, although the Ammonites called them Zamzummim. 21 The Zamzummim were a large and powerful tribe and were as tall as the Anakim. But the Lord helped the Ammonites, and they killed many of the Zamzummim and forced the rest to leave. Then the Ammonites settled there. 22 The Lord helped them as he had helped the Edomites, who killed many of the Horites in Seir and forced the rest to leave before settling there themselves.
23 A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land.
Israel Crossed the Arnon Gorge
Moses said:
24 After we went through Ammon, the Lord told us:
Israel, pack up your possessions, take down your tents, and cross the Arnon River gorge. The territory of the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon lies on the other side of the river, but I now give you his land. So attack and take it! 25 Today I will start making all other nations afraid of you. They will tremble with fear when anyone mentions you, and they will be terrified when you show up.
The Defeat of King Sihon of Heshbon
(Numbers 21.21-30)Moses said to Israel:
26 After we had crossed the Arnon and had set up camp in the Kedemoth Desert, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon, telling him that his nation and ours could be at peace. I said:
27 Please let Israel go across your country. We will walk straight through, without turning off the road. 28-29 You can even sell us food and water, and we will pay with silver. We need to reach the Jordan River and cross it, because the Lord our God is giving us the land on the west side. The Edomites and Moabites have already let us cross their land. Please let us cross your land as well.
30-31 But Sihon refused to let us go across his country, because the Lord made him stubborn and eager to fight us. The Lord told me, “I am going to help you defeat Sihon and take his land, so attack him!”
32 We met Sihon and his army in battle at Jahaz, 33 and the Lord our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army. 34 Then we captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom, killing everyone, 35 but keeping the livestock and everything else of value. 36 The Lord helped us capture every town from the Arnon River gorge north to the boundary of Gilead, including the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge and the town in the middle of the gorge.
37 However, we stayed away from all the Ammonite towns, both in the hill country and near the Jabbok River, just as the Lord had commanded.
1 “Ipapo tikashanduka tikatola gwendo gwedu mu tjilambanyika takalinga ku Gungwa Shaba sekwa ndakadwiwa ndi Yahwe. Ngono takatola mazhuba manjinji tipoteleka mu shango ye matuthu ye Seiri. 2 Ipapo Yahwe bakati kundili, 3 ‘Mayendayenda mu shango iyeyi ye matuthu tjibaka tjilefu ngono kwalizana, shandukilani ku bunandzwa.’ 4 Idwa bathu uti, ‘Mabepejo ngopinda mupalama shango ye zwikamu zwenyu bakololo ba Esau banogala mu Seiri ngono banowobe bemutja. Ndizo muyele njele kwazo. 5 Musitongo gwa nabo ngoti akuna pamwe pe shango yabo pandinowomupa, aa, ndodwa ne patukununu nthu paangatshamba ngoti ndakapa Esau Dombo le Seiri kube lile. 6 Mutenge zojiwa nge mari mubali kuti muje ne vula muyitenge mubali nge mari kuti mung'we. 7 Ngoti Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bakamukombolela mu mishingo yose ye maboko enyu, banoziba gwendo gwenyu mupalama tjilambanyika itjetji tjikulu. Makole ali makumi manna iyawa Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bakabe banamwi, akuna tjamakasheta.’ 8 Ndizo wali takadwilila tiyenda kudwa pa zwikamu zwedu bakololo ba Esau, bakabe begala mu Seiri, tikasiya zila ye Araba inodwa ku Elati neku Eziyonigeberi.”
“Tikashanduka tikalinga ku lubizho gwe tjilambanyika tje Moabu. 9 Ngono Yahwe bakati kundili, ‘Musitongo dziyidza Moabu kene mukagwa nabo ngoti anditowomupa pamwe pe shango yabo ngoti ndakapa Ari bakololo ba Loti.’ 10 (Baemimi bakatongo gala ikoko, bathu bakabe bali bakulu bali banjinji bali balefu se Baanakimu. 11 Banotogwa bali Barefaimu se Baanaki koga Bamoabu banobadana Baemimi. 12 Bahori naibo bakatongo gala mu Seiri koga bakololo ba Esau bakabatolela, bakabalobesa bebe begala mu magalo abo sekwakathama Baiziraela ku shango yabakatola yabakapiwa ndi Yahwe.) 13 ‘Ngwenu wali milikani mutjuluke nkuku we Zeredi.’ Ndizo tikatjuluka nkuku we Zeredi. 14 Tjibaka tjatakatola kudwa mu Kadeshibhareneya kuswikila titjuluka nkuku we Zeredi makole ali makumi matatu ana ali zhanakadzi kuswikila tjizekugwana tjose tje babhayani tjifa tjipela mu bukotokelo Yahwe sekwa bakabe batuna kubali. 15 Ngoti nge malebeswa tjiazha tja Yahwe tjakabe tjibhayana nabo kubalobesa mu makotokelo kuswikila bepela.”
16 “Ndizo kwakati balume be ngwa bose bafa basitjipo pakati kwe bathu, 17 Yahwe bakabe beti kundili, 18 ‘Mu zhuba lanasi mutjuluke n'gathu we Moabu pa Ari. 19 Ngono muti muabilila Baamoni musitongo badziyidza kene mukagwa nabo ngoti akuna pamwe pe shango ye bakololo ba Amoni pandinowomupa ngoti ndakayipa bakololo ba Loti kube yabo.’ 20 (Naiyobo inotogwa ili se shango ye Barefaimu. Barefaimu bakatongo gala mu ili koga Baamoni bakabe be badana Bazamuzumimu, 21 bathu bakabe bali bakulu bali banjinji bali balefu se Baanaki. Koga Ndzimu wakabalobesa mbeli kwabo ngono Baamoni bakabatolela bakagala imomo mu bumo gwabo. 22 Yahwe bakathama sekwa bakathamila bakololo ba Esau banogala mu Seiri pawakalobesa Bahori mbeli kwabo, ngono bakabatolela bakagala mu ili mu bumo gwabo kuswikila nasi. 23 Koga Baavimi bakabe begala mu mizi bukule kunoti ku Gaza bakalobesiwa ne Bakhafithori bakabe bedwa ku Khafithori ngono bakagala ikoko mu bumo gwabo.)”
24 “ ‘Milikani, tolani gwendo gwenyu mutjuluke lukoba gwe Arinoni. Bonani, ndalonga Sihoni we N'amori, mambo we Heshibhoni ne shango iye mu maboko enyu. Tangisani kutola shango mugwe naye. 25 Mu zhuba ilelino ndowotangisa kulonga hana ne lutjo gwenyu mu bathu ba pasi kwe kudzimu, banowohwa thawu nge kwenyu ngono banowotetema bakafubala nge kwenyu.’ ”
Baiziraela banokunda Mambo Sihoni
(Mbalo 21:21-30)26 “Ndizo ndakatuma batumwa kudwa mu Kedemoti kuna Sihoni mambo we Heshibhoni eyisa matama e mbakiso eti, 27 ‘Utiletje tipinde tipalama shango iyo, towoyenda nge zila koga, atitowopambukila ku luji kene ku lumeshwe. 28 Iwe unowotitengesela zojiwa nge mari kuti tije, ungatipa vula nge mari kuti ting'we koga utiletje tipinde nge makumbo 29 sekwatakathamigwa nge bakololo ba Esau banogala mu Seiri ne Bamoabu banogala mu Ari kudzina titjuluka Jorodani tingina mu shango yatinopiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wedu.’ ” 30 Koga Sihoni mambo we Heshibhoni kasidume kuti tipinde panli ngoti Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bakakukutadza moyo uwe bakathama kuti moyo uwe ube ne bukomba kuti banlonge mu maboko enyu mu zhuba ilelino.
31 Ngono Yahwe bakandidwa bakati, “Bona, ndatangisa kukupa Sihoni ne shango iye, tangisa kutola kuti ugale mu shango iye.” 32 Ipapo Sihoni kabhuda kuwotinginilila ana bathu babe bose kuwogwa ku Jahazi. 33 Ngono Yahwe Ndzimu wedu bakatipa iye tikankunda, iye ne bakololo babe ne bathu babe bose. 34 Ngono tikatapa mizi mikulu iye yose mu tjibaka itjetjo ngono tikakolomodza nzi nkulu mmwe ne mmwe tjoselele ne balume ne bakadzi ne bana, akuna tjatakasiya. 35 Takatapa ng'ombe ne thundu imu mizi mikulu tiyizwitolegwa. 36 Kudwa ku Aroeri nzi nkulu umu ndzibo we lukoba gwe Arinoni ne kudwa ku nzi nkulu umu nkuku kuyenda kule kunoti ku Giliyadi kwakabe kusina nzi nlefusa kutili, Yahwe Ndzimu wedu wakailonga mu maboko edu yose. 37 Koga ku shango ye bakololo ba Amoni amuzo sedzela, kodwa kuti ku shango yose imu phili dze gwizi gwe Jabhoki ne mizi mikulu ye shango ye matuthu ne kumwe ne kumwe Yahwe Ndzimu wedu kwawakatidzibila.