Numbers 20

1 And the children of Israel, and all the multitude came into the desert of Sin, in the first month: and the people abode in Cades. And Mary died there, and was buried in the same place.

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 the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron:

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

3 And making a sedition, they said: Would God we had perished among our brethren 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 brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both we and our cattle should die?

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 up out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor 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 leaving the multitude, went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and fell flat upon the ground, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur. And the glory of the Lord appeared over 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 the rod, and assemble the people together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall 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 Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded him,

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

10 And having gathered together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we bring you forth 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 when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank,

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 you have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give 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 contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against 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 In the mean time Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, to say: Thus saith thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the labour that hath 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 In what manner our fathers went down into Egypt, and there we dwelt a long time, 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 how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt. Lo, we are now in the city of Cades, which is in the uttermost of thy borders,

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 And we beseech thee that we may have leave to pass through thy country. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, we will not drink the waters of thy wells, but we will go by the common highway, neither turning aside to the right hand, nor to the left, till we are past 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 answered them: Thou shalt not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.

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: We will go by the beaten way: and if we and our cattle drink of thy waters, we will give thee what is just: there shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us pass speedily.

“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 answered: Thou shalt not pass. And immediately he came forth to meet them with an infinite multitude, and 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 Neither would he condescend to their desire to grant them passage through his borders. Wherefore Israel turned another way from him.

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

22 And when they had removed the camp from Cades, they came to mount Her, which is in the borders of the land of Edom:

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

23 Where the Lord spoke to Moses:

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

24 Let Aaron, saith he, go to his people: for he shall not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because he was incredulous to my words, at the waters of contradiction.

“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 his son with him, and bring them up into mount Hor:

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

26 And when thou hast stripped the father of his vesture, thou shalt vest therewith Eleazar his son: Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and 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 Moses did as the Lord had commanded: and they went up into mount Hor before all the multitude.

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

28 And when he had stripped Aaron of his vestments, he vested Eleazar his son with them. And Aaron being dead in the top of the mountain, he came down with Eleazar.

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 multitude seeing that Aaron was dead, mourned for him thirty days throughout all their families.

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