Defeat of Sihon King of Heshbon

24 “Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge.(A) See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite,(B) king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage(C) him in battle. 25 This very day I will begin to put the terror(D) and fear(E) of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble(F) and be in anguish because of you.”

26 From the Desert of Kedemoth(G) I sent messengers to Sihon(H) king of Heshbon offering peace(I) and saying, 27 “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left.(J) 28 Sell us food to eat(K) and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot(L) 29 as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord(M) your God had made his spirit stubborn(N) and his heart obstinate(O) in order to give him into your hands,(P) as he has now done.

31 The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”(Q)

32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle(R) at Jahaz, 33 the Lord our God delivered(S) him over to us and we struck him down,(T) together with his sons and his whole army. 34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed[a](U) them—men, women and children. We left no survivors. 35 But the livestock(V) and the plunder(W) from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. 36 From Aroer(X) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead,(Y) not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave(Z) us all of them. 37 But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God,(AA) you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites,(AB) neither the land along the course of the Jabbok(AC) nor that around the towns in the hills.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 2:34 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

24 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

26 And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

27 Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.

28 Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;

29 (As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the Lord our God giveth us.

30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

31 And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.

32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

33 And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:

35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

36 From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us:

37 Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the Lord our God forbad us.

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