Numbers 20

1 In the first month all the children of Israel came into the waste land of Zin, and put up their tents in Kadesh; there death came to Miriam, and they put her body to rest in the earth.

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

2 And there was no water for the people: and they came together against Moses and against Aaron.

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

3 And the people were angry with Moses and said, If only death had overtaken us when our brothers came to their death before the Lord!

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

4 Why have you taken the Lord's people into this waste, for death to come to us and to our cattle there?

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

5 Why have you made us come out of Egypt into this evil place? This is no place of seed or figs or vines or other fruits, and there is no water for drinking.

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!”

6 Then Moses and Aaron went away from the people to the door of the Tent of meeting; and, falling on their faces there, they saw the glory of the Lord.

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.

7 And the Lord said to Moses,

And the LORD said to Moses,

8 Take the rod, you and Aaron, your brother, and make all the people come together, and before their eyes give orders to the rock to give out its water; and so make water come out of the rock for them, and give the people and their cattle drink.

“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.”

9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he gave him orders.

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

10 Then Moses and Aaron made the people come together in front of the rock, and he said to them, Give ear now, you people whose hearts are turned from the Lord; are we to get water for you out of the rock?

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?”

11 And lifting up his hand, Moses gave the rock two blows with his rod: and water came streaming out, and the people and their cattle had drink enough.

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.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you had not enough faith in me to keep my name holy before the children of Israel, you will not take this people into the land which I have given them.

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.”

13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel went against the Lord, and they saw that he was holy among them.

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

14 Then Moses sent men from Kadesh to the king of Edom to say to him, Your brother Israel says, You have knowledge of all the things we have been through;

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,

15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we were living in Egypt for a long time; and the Egyptians were cruel to us and to our fathers:

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

16 And the Lord gave ear to the voice of our cry, and sent an angel and took us out of Egypt: and now we are in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your land;

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.

17 Let us now go through your land: we will not go into field or vine-garden, or take the water of the springs; we will go by the highway, not turning to the right or to the left, till we have gone past the limits of your land.

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.”

18 And Edom said, You are not to go through my land, for if you do I will come out against you with the sword.

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

19 And the children of Israel said to him, We will go up by the highway: and if we or our cattle take of your water, we will give you a price for it: only let us go through on our feet, nothing more.

“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.”

20 But he said, You are not to go through. And Edom came out against them in his strength, with a great army.

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

21 So Edom would not let Israel go through his land; and Israel went in another direction.

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

22 And they went on from Kadesh, and came, with all their people, to Mount Hor.

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

23 And at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

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

24 Aaron will be put to rest with his people; he will not go into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you went against my word at the waters of Meribah.

“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.

25 So take Aaron and Eleazar, his son, up into Mount Hor;

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

26 And take Aaron's robes off him and put them on Eleazar, his son: and death will come to Aaron there, and he will be put to rest with his people.

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

27 So Moses did as the Lord had said, and before the eyes of all the people they went up Mount Hor.

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

28 And Moses took off Aaron's robes, and put them on Eleazar, his son; and there on the top of the mountain death came to Aaron: then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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.

29 And when the people saw that Aaron was dead, all the children of Israel gave themselves up to weeping for him for thirty days.

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