Numbers 20

1 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.

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 congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.

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

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

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

4 And wherefore have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?

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

5 And wherefore [is] this? Ye 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.

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 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.

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 spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

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

“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 his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.

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

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

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 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not believed me to sanctify me before the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation 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 This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

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

14 And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says thy brother Israel; Thou knowest all the distress that has come upon us.

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

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

16 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 thy coasts.

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 We will pass through thy land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of thy 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 thy borders.

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 to him, Thou shalt not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet thee in war.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 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].

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

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

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

28 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.

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

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