23. A similar thing happened when the Caphtorites from Crete invaded and destroyed the Avvites, who had lived in villages in the area of Gaza.)
24. Moses continued, “Then the lord said, ‘Now get moving! Cross the Arnon Gorge. Look, I will hand over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and I will give you his land. Attack him and begin to occupy the land.
25. Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.’”
26. Moses continued, “From the wilderness of Kedemoth I sent ambassadors to King Sihon of Heshbon with this proposal of peace:
27. ‘Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won’t turn off into the fields on either side.
28. Sell us food to eat and water to drink, and we will pay for it. All we want is permission to pass through your land.
29. The descendants of Esau who live in Seir allowed us to go through their country, and so did the Moabites, who live in Ar. Let us pass through until we cross the Jordan into the land the lord our God is giving us.’
30. “But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through, because the lord your God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat him, as he has now done.
31. “Then the lord said to me, ‘Look, I have begun to hand King Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to conquer and occupy his land.’