40 But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.’
41 “You answered me, ‘We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight just as the Lord our God commanded us.’ Then each of you put on his weapons of war and thought it would be easy to go up into the hill country.
42 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Tell them: Don’t go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from being defeated by your enemies.’
43 So I spoke to you, but you didn’t listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and defiantly went up into the hill country.
44 Then the Amorites who lived there came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir as far as Hormah.
45 When you returned, you wept before the Lord, but He didn’t listen to your requests or pay attention to you.
46 For this reason you stayed in Kadesh as long as you did.