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.

It was during the first month of the year that all the Israelites arrived in the Desert of Zin and set up camp in Kadesh. (This was where Miriam died and was buried.)

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

However, there was no water there for anyone to drink, so the people gathered to confront Moses and Aaron.

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

They argued with Moses, saying, “If only we'd died with our relatives in the Lord's presence!

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

Why have you brought the Lord's people into this desert just so we and our livestock can die here?

5 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.

Why did you lead us out of Egypt to come to this awful place? Nothing grows here—no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates. And there's 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.

Moses and Aaron left the people and went to entrance of the Tent of Meeting. There they fell facedown on the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

7 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord told Moses,

8 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.

“Take the walking stick and have the people gather around you. As they watch, you and your brother Aaron will order the rock and it will pour out water. You will bring water from the rock so the people and their livestock can drink.”

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

Moses picked up the walking stick that was kept in the Lord's presence, as he had been ordered.

10 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?

Moses and Aaron had everyone gather in front of the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen, you bunch of rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?”

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 picked up the walking stick and hit the rock twice. Streams of water gushed out so that the people and their livestock could drink.

12 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.

But the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn't trust me enough to demonstrate how holy I am to the Israelites, you will not be the ones to lead them into the country I've 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.

The place where the Israelites argued with the Lord was called the waters of Meribah, and was where he revealed his holiness to them.

14 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.

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, telling him, “This is what your brother Israel says. You know all about the difficulties we've faced.

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

Our forefathers went to Egypt and we lived there for a long time. The Egyptians treated us and our forefathers badly,

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 your coasts.

so we called out to the Lord for help, and he heard our cries. He sent an angel and led us out of Egypt. Listen, now we are in Kadesh, a town on the border of your territory.

17 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.

Please allow us to travel through your country. We won't cross any of your fields or vineyards, or drink water from any of your wells. We will stay on the King's Highway; we won't turn off either to the right or to the left until we have passed through your country.”

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

But the king of Edom replied, “You are forbidden to travel through our country, otherwise we will come out and stop you by force.”

19 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.

“We'll keep to the main road,” the Israelites persisted. “If we or our livestock drink your water, we'll pay you for it. That's all we want—just to pass through on foot.”

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

But the king of Edom insisted, “You are forbidden to travel through our country!” He came out with his large and powerful army to meet the Israelites head-on.

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

Since the king of Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through his territory, the Israelites had to turn back.

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

The Israelites all left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

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

At Mount Hor, near the border with the country of Edom, the Lord told Moses and Aaron,

24 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.

“Aaron will shortly join his forefathers in death. He will not enter the country I have given the Israelites, because you both disobeyed 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;

Have Aaron and his son Eleazar join you and climb up Mount Hor together.

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].

Take off Aaron's priestly clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron is going to die there and join his forefathers in death.”

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

Moses did as the Lord ordered: They climbed up Mount Hor in full view of all the Israelites.

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.

Moses removed the priestly clothes that Aaron was wearing and put them on Aaron's son Eleazar. Aaron died there, on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar went back down.

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 people realized that Aaron had died, they all mourned for him for thirty days.