Numbers 20

1 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam 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 And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

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

3 And the people strove with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

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

4 And why have ye brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our cattle?

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

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto 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 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto 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 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

8 Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle 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 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

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

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?

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 And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

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 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye 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; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

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

14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen 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, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians evil entreated us, and our fathers:

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

16 and when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy 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 let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land: we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go along the king’s [high] way, we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy 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 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.

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

19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go up by the highway: and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof: let me only, without [doing] any thing [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 And he said, Thou shalt not pass through. And Edom came out against him with much 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 refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

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

22 And they journeyed from Kadesh: and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

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

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

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

24 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 word at the waters of Meribah.

“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 and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

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

26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered [unto his people], 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 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and 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 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

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

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