<p class="bodytext">So the people murmured<n id="1" /> against Moses, saying, &#8220;What can<n id="2" /> we drink?&#8221;

Then the Israelites said to him, &#8220;We will go along the highway, and if we<n id="1" /> or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We will only pass through on our feet, without doing anything else.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Let us<n id="1" /> pass through your land;<n id="2" /> we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King&#8217;s Highway until we pass your borders.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;p> <p class="poetry">their tongues are parched from thirst.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, will respond to their prayers;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.p>

<p class="poetry">The soldiers of Babylonia will stop fighting.p> <p class="poetry">They will remain in their fortified cities.p> <p class="poetry">They will lose their strength to do battle.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be as frightened as women.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The houses in her cities will be set on fire.p> <p class="poetry">The gates of her cities will be broken down.<n id="3" />p>

Please let us pass through<n id="1" /> your country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well. We will go by the King&#8217;s Highway;<n id="2" /> we will not turn to the right or the left until we have passed through your region.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

But they answered, &#8220;We do not drink wine because our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us not to. He told us, &#8216;You and your children must never drink wine.