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.
Ozombura Ovaisrael nḓu va kara mokuti onguza
1 “Tjazumba twa tanauka natu hungama okuti onguza mondjira yokuyenda kOmuronga wOtuu, Muhona punga e ndji raerere, natu tambatamba mehi rozondundu ra Seir oure womayuva omengi tjinene.
2 “Nu Muhona we ndji raera a tja: 3 ‘Opuwo, nambano mwa tambatamba orure mozondundu nḓa. Vingurukireye kuṱa keyuva kokunene. 4 Nu rakiza nai kotjiwaṋa: Eṋe nambano mamu tuurunga orukondwa rwehi romihoko vyeṋu inḓa ozondekurona za Esau mbe tura mOedom. Nowo mave mu tira; nungwari ritjevereye nawa! 5 Amu tjiti ovita kuna wo, orondu ami himee mu pe ehi rawo, nangarire ouparanga mbu ṱeki pombaze, tjinga amba yandja ozondundu za Edom ku Esau ze rire ouini we. 6 Ovikurya mamu randa ku wo notjimariva kutja mu rye, nomeva rukwao kutja mu nwe.’ ”
7 “Orondu Muhona, Ndjambi woye, we ku sera ondaya moviungura avihe vyomake woye. Eye wa tjiwa omakayendero woye mokuti ngwi okunene nonguza; nu Muhona, Ndjambi woye, wa kara puna ove oure wozombura omirongo vine; nu ko notjiṋa tji wa hepere.
8 “Otji twa kayenda rukwao, ohumburuko nomihoko vyetu, inḓa ozondekurona za Esau nḓe tura mOseir, atu isa ondjira, ndji tuurunga orutjandja, ndji za kOelat na Esjon-Geber; tjazumba atu tanauka natu kayenda komurungu mondjira, ndji hungama okuti onguza kwa Moab. 9 Muhona arire tja tja ku ami: ‘O rwisa Ovamoab, nu o tjiti ovita kuna wo! Ami hi nokukupa ehi rawo ri rire ouini woye, tjinga amba yandja otjihuro Ar kozondekurona za Lot tji rire ouini wazo.’ ”
10 Rukuru Ovaemi, ihi otjiwaṋa otjinene tji tja takavarere nu tjovandu ovatonga motutu tjimuna Ovaanakim, va turire motjihuro Ar. 11 Owo wina ave varwa otja Ovarefai tjimuna Ovaanakim; nungwari Ovamoab ave ve isana kutja Ovaemi. 12 Nu Ovahori wina rukuru aave tura mOedom; nungwari ozondekurona za Esau ze ve rambere mouini wawo naze ve yandeke, nozo za katura mehi rawo tjimuna Ovaisrael tji va tjitire kovanavita na wo mba turire mehi Ovaisrael ndi va perwe i Muhona.
13 “Okuzambo otjitwa kakonde onḓonḓu Sered otja Muhona tjetu raera. 14 Nu oruveze rwomatjindiro wetu okuza kOkades-Barnea nga komakondero wetu wonḓonḓu Sered rwa ṱeka pozombura omirongo vitatu na hambondatu, nga omuhoko auhe wovarumendu ovarwe wovita tji wa kokera mozondanda otja Muhona pe ve yanena. 15 Nu Muhona wa nyengwa ovitjitwa vyawo ne ve yandeke avehe mozondanda.
16 “Novarumendu ovarwe avehe wovita tji va koka, 17 Muhona arire tja tja nai ku ami: 18 ‘Ove ndino mo kondere omuruko wehi ra Moab potjihuro Ar, 19 no kavaza popezu nehi rOvaamoni. O ve rwisa, nu o tjiti ovita kuna wo! Ami hi nakukupa orukondwa rwehi rawo ru rire ouini woye, tjinga ambe ri yandja kozondekurona za Lot ri rire ouini wazo.’ ”
20 Orukondwa ndwi aa ru varwa otja ehi rOvarefai mba turire mo rukuru. NOvaamoni aave ve isana kutja Ovasamsumi. 21 Owo va ri otjiwaṋa otjinene tji tja takavarere nu tjovandu ovatonga motutu tjimuna Ovaanakim. Nungwari Muhona wa yandisire Ovarefai momeero wOvaamoni; komuhingo mbwi Ovaamoni otji ve ve ramba mehi, nave yaruka momaturiro wawo. 22 Muhona wa tjitire omuhingo tjingewo kOvaedom, ozondekurona za Esau, nḓa turire mOseir. Eye wa yandekere Ovahori momeero wazo; komuhingo mbwi ozondekurona za Esau otji ze ve ramba mehi, nave yaruka momaturiro wawo nga ku ndinondi. 23 Nu Ovakaftori, mba zire kokakoverwa Kaftor va yandekere Ovaavi, mba turire movirongo pekepeke nga kotjihuro Gasa, nave yaruka momaturiro wawo.
24 “ ‘Rirongereye mu kakonde onḓonḓu Arnon! Tara, ami me yandja Sihon, ombara ya Hesbon, Omuamori, nehi re mouvara woye. Mu rwisa u kambure ehi re. 25 Okuza ku ndinondi me tjiti kutja ovandu avehe mbe ri kehi yeyuru ve ku tire, kokutja owo tji mave zuu ondangu yoye ve hwinḓe nu ve zezerisiwe i omburuma.’
Ovaisrael mave havere ombara Sihon
(Num 21:21-30)26 “Tjazumba mba hinda ovatumwa okuza mokuti onguza kwa Kedemot ku Sihon, ombara ya Hesbon, nomambo wohange ngu maye tja nai: 27 ‘Ndji esa mbi tuurungire mehi roye. Ami me ka wondja mondjira uriri, hi nokuyepa kokunene poo kokumuho. 28 Ovikurya mbi matu ri nomeva ngu matu nu eṱe matu sutu. Ihi tji matu vanga okongwi okutja u twese to tuurungire mehi roye, 29 otja ozondekurona za Esau, nḓe tura mOseir, nOvamoab mbe tura mOar punga ava tjita nga tji me kakonda Jordan nokukahita mehi Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, ndi ma vanga okuyandja ku eṱe.’
30 “Nungwari Sihon, ombara ya Hesbon, ka vangere kutja tu tuurungire mehi re; orondu Muhona, Ndjambi woye, tjinga a rangarangisa ombepo ya Sihon na kukutisa omutima we kutja e mu yandje mouvara woye otja tji pe ri ndinondi. 31 Nu Muhona opa tjera nai ku ami: ‘Tara, ami mba utu okuyandja Sihon nehi re mouvara woye; hakahana okuhita mehi u kerikambure.’
32 “Sihon otja sekama notjiwaṋa tje atjihe okututjakanena nokuturwisira mOjahas. 33 Nu Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, we mu yandja mouvara wetu, notji twe mu havera, eye novazandu ve notjiwaṋa tje atjihe. 34 Moruveze tjingero ndo twa kambura ovihuro vye avihe, natu nyono otjihuro ngamwa atjihe, ovarumendu novakazendu novanatje wina nga tji pe ha ningire omundu ngwa taura. 35 Ovinamuinyo porwavyo ombi twa huura, natu pundu ovihuro. 36 Okuza kOaroer, tji tji ri komukuma wonḓonḓu Arnon, notjihuro tji tji ri momukutu nga kOgilead kapa ri otjiṱunga tji tji ha kamburirwe i eṱe; Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, wa yandjere avihe mouvara wetu. 37 Nu popezu nehi rOvaamoni porwaro okutu heere, okutja okomukuma auhe wonḓonḓu na ku avihe Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, ke tu tjaera.
