Numbers 20

1 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.)

And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

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

And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

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

And the people quarreled with Moses, and said thus, Oh that we had but perished when our brethren perished before the Lord!

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

And why have ye brought the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle!

5 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!”

And wherefore have ye caused us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place for sowing, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; and water even there is none to drink.

6 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.

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

7 The Lord told Moses,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

8 “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.”

Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, with Aaron thy brother, and ye shall speak unto the rock before their eyes, that it shall give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.

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

And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he had commanded him.

10 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?”

And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels! shall we out of this rock bring forth water for you?

11 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.

And Moses lifted up his hand, and he smote the rock with his staff twice: and there came out much water, and the congregation drank, together with their cattle.

12 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.”

And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not confided in me, to sanctify me before the eyes of the children of Israel: therefore shall ye not bring this congregation into the land which I have given to them.

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

These are the waters of Meribah; where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through which he was sanctified.

14 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.

And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus hath said thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the hardship that hath befallen us.

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

How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt many days; and the Egyptians did evil to us, and to our fathers:

16 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.

And we cried unto the Lord, and he heard our voice, and he sent a messenger, and caused us to go forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the outmost end of thy border.

17 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.”

Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy country; we will not pass through field, or through vineyard, and we will not drink the water of the wells: by the king's highway will we go, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.

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

And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through my land, lest I come against thee with the sword.

19 “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.”

And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the highway: and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I pay its value; I will do thee no injury, only on foot will I pass through.

20 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.

And he said, Thou shalt not pass through; and Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

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

And as Edom thus refused to permit Israel to pass through his border, Israel turned away from him.

22 The Israelites all left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

And they set forward from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

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

And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron at mount Hor, by the boundary of the land of Edom, as followeth,

24 “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.

Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my order at the waters of Meribah.

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

Take Aaron and Elazar, his son, and cause them to go up unto mount Hor:

26 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.”

And cause Aaron to take off his garments, and clothe therewith Elazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered in, and he shall die there.

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

And Moses did as the Lord had commanded; and they went up to mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation.

28 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.

And Moses caused Aaron to take off his garments, and he clothed therewith Elazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount; and Moses and Elazar then came down from the mount.

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

And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was departed, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.