Numbers 20

1 And the sons of Israel, all the congregation, come [into] the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh; and Miriam dies there and is buried there.

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 And there has been no water for the congregation, and they are assembled against Moses and against Aaron,

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

3 and the people strive with Moses and speak, saying, “And oh that we had expired when our brothers expired before YHWH!

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

4 And why have you brought in the assembly of YHWH to this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts?

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

5 And why have you brought us up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? [It is] not a place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and there is 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 And Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly to the opening of the Tent of Meeting and fall on their faces, and the glory of YHWH is seen by 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 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

8 “Take the rod and assemble the congregation—you and your brother Aaron—and you have spoken to the rock before their eyes, and it has given its water, and you have brought out water to them from the rock, and have watered the congregation and their beasts.”

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 And Moses takes the rod from before YHWH as He has commanded him,

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

10 and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly to the front of the rock, and he says to them, “Now hear, O rebels, do we bring out water to you from this rock?”

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 And Moses lifts up his hand and strikes the rock with his rod twice; and much water comes out, and the congregation drinks, and their beasts [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 And YHWH says to Moses and to Aaron, “Because you have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you do not bring in this assembly to the land which I have given to 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 These [are] the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have “striven” with YHWH, and He is sanctified among them.

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

14 And Moses sends messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “Thus said your brother Israel: You have known all the travail which has found us,

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 that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt [for] many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers;

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 then we cry to YHWH, and He hears our voice, and sends a Messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city [in] the extremity of your border.

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 let us pass over through your land; we do not pass over through a field or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; we go the way of the king, we do not turn aside [to] the right or left until we pass over your border.”

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 And Edom says to him, “You do not pass over through me, lest I come out to meet you with the sword.”

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

19 And the sons of Israel say to him, “We go in the highway, and if we drink of your waters—I and my livestock—then I have given their price; only, let me pass over on my feet, nothing [more].”

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 And he says, “You do not pass over”; and Edom comes out to meet him with many people and with a strong hand;

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

21 and Edom refuses to permit Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turns aside from off him.

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

22 And the sons of Israel, all the congregation, journey from Kadesh and come to Mount Hor,

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

23 and YHWH speaks to Moses and to Aaron in Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,

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

24 “Aaron is gathered to his people, for he does not go into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that you provoked My mouth 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 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and cause them to go up Mount Hor,

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

26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and you have clothed his son Eleazar [with] them, and Aaron is gathered, and dies there.”

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 And Moses does as YHWH has commanded, and they go up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation,

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

28 and Moses strips Aaron of his garments, and clothes his son Eleazar with them, and Aaron dies there on the top of the mountain; and Moses comes down—Eleazar also—from the mountain,

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 and all the congregation sees that Aaron has expired, and all the house of Israel laments Aaron [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.