The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Deuteronomy 2

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Deuteronomy chapter 2 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as HaShem spoke unto me; and we compassed mount…” — the complete text of all 37 verses is below, free to read online.

1Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as HaShem spoke unto me; and we compassed mount Seir many days.

2And HaShem spoke unto me, saying:

3'Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward.

4And command thou the people, saying: Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you; take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore;

5contend not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

6Ye shall purchase food of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.

7For HaShem thy G-d hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; He hath known thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty years HaShem thy G-d hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.'

8So we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah, from Elath and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

9And HaShem said unto me: 'Be not at enmity with Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.--

10The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim;

11these also are accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim.

12And in Seir dwelt the Horites aforetime, but the children of Esau succeeded them; and they destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which HaShem gave unto them.--

13Now rise up, and get you over the brook Zered.' And we went over the brook Zered.

14And the days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, were thirty and eight years; until all the generation, even the men of war, were consumed from the midst of the camp, as HaShem swore unto them.

15Moreover the hand of HaShem was against them, to discomfit them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed.

16So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

17that HaShem spoke unto me saying:

18'Thou art this day to pass over the border of Moab, even Ar;

19and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, harass them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.--

20That also is accounted a land of Rephaim: Rephaim dwelt therein aforetime; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

21a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; but HaShem destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead;

22as He did for the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day;

23and the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.--

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

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

26And 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 highway, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.

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

29as the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar, did unto me; until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land which HaShem our G-d giveth us.'

30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for HaShem thy G-d hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

31And HaShem said unto me: 'Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before thee; begin to possess his land.'

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

33And HaShem our G-d delivered him up before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

34And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every city, the men, and the women, and the little ones; we left none remaining;

35only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we had taken.

36From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, even unto Gilead, there was not a city too high for us: HaShem our G-d delivered up all before us.

37Only to the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not near; all the side of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill-country, and wheresoever HaShem our G-d forbade us.

37 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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