Numbers 20

1 In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

And the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there, and was buried there.

2 Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.

And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.

3 The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!

And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our brethren before the Lord!

4 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?

And therefore have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?

5 Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

And therefore [is] this? You have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there water to drink.

6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

And Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of witness, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

7 And the LORD said to Moses,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

8 “Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

Take your rod, and call the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak you to the rock before them, and it shall give forth its waters; and you shall bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.

9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.

And Moses took his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.

10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and said to them, Hear me, you disobedient ones; must we bring you water out of this rock?

11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and much water came forth, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you have not believed me to sanctify me before the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.

This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

14 From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your brother Israel; You know all the distress that has come upon us.

15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,

And [how] our fathers went down into Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

16 and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

And we cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt; and now we are in the city of Cades, at the extremity of your coasts.

17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

We will pass through your land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of your cistern: we will go by the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed your borders.

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

And Edom said to him, You shall not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet you in war.

19 “We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”

And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and my cattle drink of your water, I will pay you: but it is no matter of importance, we will go by the mountain.

20 But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.

And he said, You shall not pass through me; and Edom went forth to meet him with a great host, and a mighty hand.

21 So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Israel turned away from him.

22 After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.

And they departed from Cades; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Or.

23 And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Or, on the borders of the land of Edom, saying,

24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

Let Aaron be added to his people; for you shall certainly not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because you provoked me at the water of strife.

25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.

Take Aaron, and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to the mount Or before all the congregation;

26 Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”

and take Aaron's apparel from off him, and put it on Eleazar his son: and let Aaron die there and be added to [his people].

27 So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation.

And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and took him up to mount Or, before all the congregation.

28 After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

And he took Aaron's garments off him, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29 When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead: and they wept for Aaron thirty days, [even] all the house of Israel.