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.

So the people of Israel, the whole community, went into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

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

There was no water for the community, so they assembled together against Moses and Aaron.

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

The people complained against Moses. They said, “It would have been better if we had died when our fellow Israelites died in front of Yahweh!

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

Why have you brought Yahweh's community into this wilderness to die here, we and our animals?

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.”

Why did you make us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this horrible place? Here there is no seed, figs, vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water 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.

So Moses and Aaron went away from in front of the assembly. They went to the entrance of the tent of meeting and lay facedown. There Yahweh's brilliant glory appeared to them.

7 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

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 assemble the community, you, and Aaron your brother. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and command it to flow with water. You will produce water for them out of that rock, and you must give it to the community and their cattle to drink.”

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

Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

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?”

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels. Must we bring water out of this rock 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].

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and much water came out. The community drank, and their cattle drank.

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.”

Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me or honor me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”

13 These [are] the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have “striven” with YHWH, and He is sanctified among them.

This place was called the waters of Meribah because the people of Israel had quarreled with Yahweh there, and he showed himself to them as holy.

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,

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: Your brother Israel says this: “You know all the difficulties that have happened to 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;

You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians treated us harshly and also our ancestors.

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.

When we called out to Yahweh, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your land.

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.”

I am asking you to let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the water in your wells. We will go along the king's highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your border.”

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

But the king of Edom replied to him, “You may not pass through here. If you do, I will come with the sword to attack you.”

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].”

Then the people of Israel said to him, “We will go along the highway. If we or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us walk through on foot, without doing anything else.”

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

But the king of Edom replied, “You may not pass through.” So the king of Edom came against Israel with a strong hand with many soldiers.

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

The king of Edom refused to allow Israel to cross over their border. Because of this, Israel turned away from the land of Edom.

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

So the people journeyed from Kadesh. The people of Israel, the whole community, came to Mount Hor.

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

Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on Edom's border. He said,

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 must be gathered to his people, for he will not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel. This is because you both rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.

25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and cause them to go up Mount Hor,

Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to 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.”

Take Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron must die and be gathered to his people there.”

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

Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the community.

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,

Moses took Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down.

29 and all the congregation sees that Aaron has expired, and all the house of Israel laments Aaron [for] thirty days.

When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the entire nation wept for Aaron for thirty days.