The king of Edom refused to allow the Israelis to travel through his country

14 While the people were at Kadesh town, Moses/I sent messengers to the king of Edom to tell him this:

“Your relatives, the Israeli people, are sending you this message. You know the many troubles/hardships that have happened to us. 15 You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt. You know that they stayed there for many years. They suffered because the rulers of Egypt caused them to become their slaves and to work very hard.

16 “But when they called out to Yahweh, he heard them and sent an angel who brought them out of Egypt. Now we have set up our tents here at Kadesh, a town at the border of your land. 17 Please allow us to travel through your country. We will be careful to not walk through your fields and your vineyards. We will not even drink water from your wells. As we travel, we will stay on the king’s highway, the main road that goes from the south to the north, and we will not leave that road until we have crossed the border of your country in the north.”

18 But the king of Edom refused. He replied, “Stay out of my country! If you try to enter it, I will send my army to attack you!”

19 The Israeli messengers replied, “If we travel through your country, we will stay on the main road. If we and any of our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We want only to travel through your country. We do not want anything else.”

20 But the king replied, “No! Stay out of our country! We will not allow you to travel through our land!” Then he sent the strongest soldiers in his army to prevent the Israelis from entering his country.

21 So, because the king of Edom refused to allow the Israelis to travel through his country, the Israelis turned and traveled a different way.