Numbers 20:14–21

Edom Denies Passage

¹⁴Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel ^gsays, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. ¹⁵Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. ¹⁶When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice, sent an angel, ^hiand 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.’ ” ^j

¹⁸But 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. ^kThere will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”

²⁰Yet Edom insisted, “You must not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people. ^l21Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.