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1Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to 2the king of Edom: "Thus says 3your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met:
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4how our fathers went down to Egypt, 5and we lived in Egypt a long time. 6And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers.
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And 7when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and 8sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.
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9Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, 10or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory."
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But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you."
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And the people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, 11and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, 12then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more."
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But he said, 13"You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force.
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Thus Edom 14refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel 15turned away from him.