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.

The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. 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,

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!

The people quarrelled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!

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 the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, 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 have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any 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.

Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them.

7 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

The LORD spoke to 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 rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”

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

Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he 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?”

Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall 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].

Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock 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.”

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which 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.

These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

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, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has 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;

how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and 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.

When we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your 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.”

“Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor 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.”

Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against 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].”

The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

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

He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many 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.

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

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

They travelled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, 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,

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

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 to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you 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.”

and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and 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,

Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight 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,

Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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

When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.