Numbers 20:14–21

¹⁴And Moses sendeth messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, ‘Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou—thou hast known all the travail which hath found us; ¹⁵that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers; ¹⁶and we cry unto Jehovah, and He heareth our voice, and sendeth a messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and lo, we are in Kadesh, a city in the extremity of thy border. ¹⁷Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land; we pass not over through a field, or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; the way of the king we go, we turn not aside—right or left—till that we pass over thy border.’ ¹⁸And Edom saith unto him, ‘Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.’ ¹⁹And the sons of Israel say unto him, ‘In the highway we go, and if of thy waters we drink—I and my cattle—then I have given their price; only (it is nothing) on my feet I pass over.’ ²⁰And he saith, ‘Thou dost not pass over;’ and Edom cometh out to meet him with much people, and with a strong hand; ²¹and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.