17 Please let us travel through your country. We will not travel through any fields or vineyards. We will not drink water from any of your wells. We will travel only along King’s Road. We will not leave that road to the right or to the left. We will stay on the road until we have traveled through your country.”
18 But the king of Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land. If you try to travel through our land, we will come and fight you with swords.”
19 The Israelites answered, “We will travel along the main road. If our animals drink any of your water, we will pay you for it. We only want to walk through your country. We don’t want to take it for ourselves.”
20 But again the king of Edom answered, “We will not allow you to come through our country.” Then the king of Edom gathered a large and powerful army and went out to fight against the Israelites.
21 The king of Edom refused to let the Israelites travel through his country, so the Israelites turned around and went another way.
22 All the Israelites traveled from Kadesh to Mount Hor.
23 Mount Hor was near the border of Edom. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,