³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.” That is why he was also named Edom.^[a]

³ Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the territory of Edom.

Esau’s Family

36 These are the family records^(A) of Esau (that is, Edom^(B)).

¹⁸ But Edom answered him, “You will not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”

¹⁹ “We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price.^(A) There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”

²⁰ Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people.^{[a] 21} Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

¹⁷ Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us travel through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he refused. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.^(A)

¹⁸ “Then they traveled through the wilderness and around 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 did not enter into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.

¹⁴ He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David.^(A) The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.^(B)

²⁰ During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.^{(A) 21} So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders, but his troops fled to their tents.^{(B) 22} So Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah^(C) also rebelled at that time.

The Judgment of Edom