Numbers 20

1 The children of Israel [God prevails], even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month Nissan ·Miracles (in Aramaic), 1·. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam [Rebellion] died there, and was buried there.

In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

2 There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses [Drawn out] and against Aaron [Light-bringer].

Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.

3 The people quarreled with Moses [Drawn out], and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Adonai!

The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!

4 Why have you brought Adonai’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?

Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?

5 Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt [Abode of slavery], 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.”

Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

6 Moses [Drawn out] and Aaron [Light-bringer] went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The kavod Yahweh ·weighty glory of He sustains breathing· appeared to them.

Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

7 Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron [Light-bringer] 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.”

“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

9 Moses [Drawn out] took the rod from before Adonai, as he enjoined him.

So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.

10 Moses [Drawn out] and Aaron [Light-bringer] gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Sh'ma ·Hear obey· now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

11 Moses [Drawn out] lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

12 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out] and Aaron [Light-bringer], “Because you didn’t trust in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel [God prevails], therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

13 These are the waters of Meribah [Quarreling]; because the children of Israel [God prevails] strove with Yahweh M’Kaddesh [Yahweh our Santifier / He sustains breathing who makes you holy] who was set apart by them.

These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.

14 Moses [Drawn out] sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom [Red], saying: “Thus says your brother Israel [God prevails]: You know all the travail that has happened to us;

From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

15 how our fathers went down into Egypt [Abode of slavery], and we lived in Egypt [Abode of slavery] a long time. The Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery] mistreated us and our fathers.

how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,

16 When we cried to Adonai, he sh'ma ·heard obeyed· our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt [Abode of slavery]. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.

and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

17 “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 aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

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

But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”

19 The children of Israel [God prevails] 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.”

“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”

20 He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom [Red] came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.

21 Thus Edom [Red] refused to give Israel [God prevails] passage through his border, so Israel [God prevails] turned away from him.

So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

22 They traveled from Kadesh: and the children of Israel [God prevails], even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.

23 Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out] and Aaron [Light-bringer] in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom [Red], saying,

And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

24 “Aaron [Light-bringer] shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel [God prevails], because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah [Quarreling].

“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

25 Take Aaron [Light-bringer] and Eleazar [Help of God] his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;

Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.

26 and strip Aaron [Light-bringer] of his garments, and put them on Eleazar [Help of God] his son. Aaron [Light-bringer] shall be taken, and shall die there.”

Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”

27 Moses [Drawn out] did as Adonai enjoined. They went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation.

28 Moses [Drawn out] stripped Aaron [Light-bringer] of his garments, and put them on Eleazar [Help of God] his son. Aaron [Light-bringer] died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses [Drawn out] and Eleazar [Help of God] came down from the mountain.

After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron [Light-bringer] was dead, they wept for Aaron [Light-bringer] thirty days, even all the house of Israel [God prevails].

When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.