Deuteronomy 2:1–8

Wanderings in the Wilderness

2Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,^aw as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.^x

²Then the Lord said to me, ³“You have made your way around this hill country long enough;^y now turn north. ⁴Give the people these orders:^z ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau,^a who live in Seir.^b They will be afraid^c of you, but be very careful. ⁵Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.^{d 6}You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’ ”

⁷The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched^e over your journey through this vast wilderness.^f These forty years^g the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.^h

⁸So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned fromⁱ the Arabah^j road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber,^k and traveled along the desert road of Moab.^l