³⁹ “‘Moreover, your little ones—whom you said would become plunder, and your children who today have no knowledge of good or evil—they will enter there. To them I will give it and they will possess it. ⁴⁰ But as for you, turn around and journey into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds^[a].’

⁴¹ “Then you answered and said to me, ‘We have sinned against Adonai. We will go up and fight, just as Adonai our God commanded us.’ So each of you strapped on his weapons of war, figuring it was easy to go up to the hill country.

⁴² “But Adonai said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up and fight—for I am not with you, and you will be defeated by your enemies.”’

⁴³ “So I told you, but you would not listen—you rebelled against the command of Adonai and presumptuously went up into the hill country. ⁴⁴ The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you, and they chased you as bees do and scattered you from Seir to Hormah. ⁴⁵ Then you returned and wept before Adonai, but Adonai did not listen to your voice or pay attention to you.

⁴⁶ “So you stayed in Kadesh many days—like the days you had spent before.

Moses Recalls Wilderness Journey

2 “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Reeds, just as Adonai told me. We went around the hill country of Seir for many days.