14. Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered River. During that time all our soldiers from that generation died, as the Lord had sworn they would.
15. In fact, it was the Lord himself who got rid of all of them until none were left in the camp.
16. When the last of these soldiers had died,
17. the Lord said to me,
18. “Today you are going to pass by the border of Moab at Ar.
19. When you come near the Ammonites, don’t bother them or start a fight with them. I’m not giving you any of the land that I have already given to the descendants of Lot as their property.”
20. This land was thought of as the land of the Rephaim who used to live there, but the Ammonites called them Zamzummim.
21. These people were as strong, as numerous, and as tall as the people of Anak. But the Lord wiped them out before the Ammonites came so that the Ammonites claimed their land and took their place.