Numbers 20
1 Then came the sons of Israel the whole assembly, into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people dwelt 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 assembly, —so they gathered 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 contended with Moses, —and spake saying, Would then we had died when our brethren died, before Yahweh!
The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!
4 Wherefore then hast thou brought the convocation of Yahweh into this desert, —to 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 did ye cause us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this wretched place?—not a place of seeds, and figs, and vines and pomegranates, even water, is there none 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 in from the presence of the multitude unto the entrance of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces, —and the glory of Yahweh 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 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:
And the LORD said to Moses,
8 Take the staff and gather together the assembly, thou, and Aaron thy brother, then shall ye speak unto the cliff before their eyes and it shall give forth its waters, —so shalt thou bring forth unto them water, out of the cliff, and shalt cause the assembly, and their cattle to 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 staff from before Yahweh, —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 together the convocation before the cliff, —and he said unto them: Hear I pray you ye rebels! Out of this cliff, must we bring forth for you water?
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 high his hand and smote the cliff with his staff, twice, —and there came forth water in abundance, and the assembly and their cattle, did drink.
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 Then said Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to hallow me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore, shall ye not bring in this convocation into the land which I have given unto 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 The same, were the waters of Meribah [that is "Contention"] in that the sons of Israel contended with Yahweh, —and so he hallowed himself among 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 thyself, knowest all the distress which befell 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 and how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we abode in Egypt, many days, and that the Egyptians ill-treated 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 we made outcry unto Yahweh, and he heard our voice, and sent a messenger, and brought us forth out of Egypt, —lo! then, we, are in Kadesh, a city at the extremity of thy boundary,
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, we pray thee, pass through thy land—we will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the waters of a well, —by the king’s road, will we go—we will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left, until we get through thy boundary.
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 my land, —lest with the sword, I come out to meet 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 sons of Israel said unto him—By the highway, will we go up, and if thy waters, we should drink—I, and my cattle then would I give the price thereof, —only—it is nothing!—with my feet, would I pass through.
“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 to meet him, with a strong people, and with a firm 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 did Edom refuse to give Israel passage through his boundary, —and Israel turned away from him.
So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
22 Then set they forward from Kadesh, —and the sons of Israel. all the assembly, came in to Mount Hor.
After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.
23 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron in Mount Hor, —near the boundary 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 withdrawn unto his kinsfolk, for he shall not enter into the land. which I have given unto the sons of Israel, —because ye spurned my bidding, 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 thou Aaron, and Eleazar his son, —and bring them up Mount Hor;
Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.
26 and strip thou Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son, —and, Aaron, shall be withdrawn 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 Yahweh commanded, —and they went up into, Mount Hor, in sight of all the assembly.
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 out of 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 all the assembly saw that Aaron was dead; and they bewailed 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.
