Judges 11:18

16 But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.

Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.

19 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’

20 But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

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BSB
Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.
KJV
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
WEB
Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn’t come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
ASV
Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
DARBY
And they walked through the wilderness, and went round the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east of the land of Moab, and encamped beyond the Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon is the border of Moab.
BLB
And he went along through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and he came to the east side of the land of Moab and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter into the border of Moab, for the Arnon [was] the border of Moab.
ÅB
Siden vandret de i ørkenen og dro utenom Edoms land og Moabs land og kom fram østenfor Moabs land og leiret seg på andre siden av Arnon; men de kom ikke inn i Moabs land, for Arnon er Moabs grense.
OTB
Deretter reiste de gjennom ørkenen, forbi Edom og Moab, og kom til østsiden av Moab, hvor de slo leir på den andre siden av Arnon. De gikk ikke inn i Moabs land, for Arnon var grensen.
B1930
Siden vandret de i ørkenen og drog utenom Edoms land og Moabs land og kom frem østenfor Moabs land og leiret sig på hin side Arnon; men de kom ikke inn i Moabs land, for Arnon er Moabs grense.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

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