16 ^aWhen we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and ^bsent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.  ‡

17 Please ^alet us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; 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.’ ”  ‡

19 So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, ^athen I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”  ‡

20 Then he said, ^a“You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.  ‡