Numbers 20

1 And the children of Israel, the whole assembly, came into the wilderness of Zin, in the first month; and the people abode at Kadesh; and Miriam 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 assembly, and they gathered themselves 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 contended with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!

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

4 And why have ye brought the congregation of Jehovah into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts?

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

5 And why have ye made us to go up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates, neither is there any 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 congregation to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces; and the glory of Jehovah 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 Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

8 Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, and shalt give the assembly and their beasts 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 staff from before Jehovah, as he had commanded him.

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

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, ye rebels: shall we bring forth to 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 with his staff smote the rock twice, and much water came out, and the assembly drank, and their beasts.

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 Jehovah said to Moses and to Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to hallow me before the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land that 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, where the children of Israel contended with Jehovah, and he hallowed himself 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 Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus says thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the trouble that hath befallen 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 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians evil entreated 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 when we cried to Jehovah, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt; and behold, we are at Kadesh, a city at the extremity of thy border.

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 pass, I pray thee, through thy country; we will not pass through fields, or through vineyards, neither will we drink water out of the wells: we will go by the king's road; we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.

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 But Edom said to him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee 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 by the high way; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then I will pay for it: I will only, without anything else, go through on my feet.

“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 go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong 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 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; 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 removed from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, the whole assembly, came to mount Hor.

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

23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron in mount Hor, on the border 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 Aaron shall be gathered unto his peoples; for he shall not enter into the land that I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my commandment 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 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor,

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

26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered [to his peoples], and shall die there.

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 Jehovah had commanded, and they went up mount Hor before the eyes of the whole assembly.

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

28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there upon 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 the whole assembly saw that Aaron was dead, and they mourned for Aaron thirty days, [even] the whole house of Israel.

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