Numbers 20:14–21

EDOM DENIES PASSAGE

¹⁴Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel^d says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. ¹⁵Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. ¹⁶When we cried out to the Lord, he heard our plea,^C and sent an angel,^De and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. ¹⁷Please 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.’ ”^f

¹⁸But Edom answered him, “You will 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.^g There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”

²⁰Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people.^{A 21}Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.