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.

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 the people wanting water, came 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 making a sedition, they said: Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.

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

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 people into this desert just so we and our livestock can 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 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 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.

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 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 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 Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded him,

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

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?

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 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 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, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give 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 contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against 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 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:

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 In what manner our fathers went down into Egypt, and there we dwelt a long time, 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 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,

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 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 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 answered them: Thou shalt not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.

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

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

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:

The Israelites all left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

23 Where the Lord spoke to Moses:

At Mount Hor, near the border with the country of Edom, the Lord told 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 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 his son with him, and bring them up into mount Hor:

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

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.

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 Moses did as the Lord had commanded: and they went up into mount Hor before all the multitude.

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

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.

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

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