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.

And the sons of Israel, and the entire multitude, went into the desert of Sin, in the first month. And the people stayed at Kadesh. And Miriam died there, and she was buried in the same place.

2 And there was no water for the assembly, —so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.

And when the people were in need of water, they came together 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!

And as it turned into sedition, they said: “If only we had perished among our brothers in the sight of 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 led away the Church of the Lord, into the wilderness, so that both we and our cattle would die?

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 did you cause us to ascend from Egypt, and why have you led us into this most wretched place, which is not able to be sown, which does not produce figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and which, moreover, does not even have 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.

And Moses and Aaron, dismissing the multitude, entered the tabernacle of the covenant, and they fell prone on the ground, and they cried out to the Lord, and they said: “O Lord God, listen to the outcry of this people, and open for them, from your storehouse, a fountain of living water, so that, being satisfied, their murmuring may cease.” And the glory of the Lord appeared over them.

7 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

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 rod, and gather the people, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall bestow waters. And when you have brought forth water from the rock, the entire multitude and their cattle shall drink.”

9 And Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, —as he commanded him.

Therefore, Moses took the rod, which was in the sight of the Lord, just as he had instructed him.

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?

And having gathered the multitude before the rock, he said to them: “Listen, you who are rebellious and unbelieving. Would we be able to cast out water from 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.

And when Moses had lifted up his hand, striking the stone twice with the rod, very great waters went forth, so much so that the people and their cattle 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.

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me, so as to sanctify me before the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this people into the land, which I will give to 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.

This is the Water of Contradiction, where the sons of Israel were quarreling against the Lord, and he was sanctified in 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;

Meanwhile, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. They said: “Your brother Israel says this: You know of all the hardships which have overtaken 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 descended into Egypt, and we lived there for a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted both 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 how we cried out to the Lord, and he heeded us and sent an Angel, who led us away from Egypt. Behold, we are situated in the city of Kadesh, which is at the extremity of your borders.

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.

And we beg you to permit us to cross through your land. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards; we will not drink the waters of your wells, but we will travel by the public ways, neither turning aside to the right, nor to the left, until we have passed your borders.”

18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through my land, —lest with the sword, I come out to meet thee.

Edom responded to them: “You shall not cross through me, otherwise, I will meet you armed.”

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.

And the sons of Israel said: “We will travel by the well-trodden path. And if we or our cattle drink from your waters, we will give you what is just. There shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us cross through quickly.”

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 he answered, “You shall not cross.” And immediately he went out to meet them with a countless multitude and a strong hand;

21 Thus did Edom refuse to give Israel passage through his boundary, —and Israel turned away from him.

neither was he willing to agree to their petition to concede passage through his borders. For this reason, Israel diverted away from him.

22 Then set they forward from Kadesh, —and the sons of Israel. all the assembly, came in to Mount Hor.

And when they had moved the camp from Kadesh, they arrived at mount Hor, which is at the borders of the land of Edom,

23 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron in Mount Hor, —near the boundary of the land of Edom saying:

where the Lord spoke to Moses:

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.

“Let Aaron,” he said, “go to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because he did not believe my mouth at the Waters of Contradiction.

25 Take thou Aaron, and Eleazar his son, —and bring them up Mount Hor;

Take Aaron, and his son with him, and lead them on to 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.

And when you have stripped the father of his vestments, you shall put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron shall be gathered and shall die there.”

27 And Moses did as Yahweh commanded, —and they went up into, Mount Hor, in sight of all the assembly.

Moses did just as the Lord had instructed. And they ascended mount Hor, in the sight of the entire multitude.

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.

And when he had despoiled Aaron of his vestments, he clothed his son Eleazar with them. And when Aaron had died at the top of the mountain, Moses came down with Eleazar.

29 And all the assembly saw that Aaron was dead; and they bewailed Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

And the entire multitude, seeing that Aaron lay dead, wept over him for thirty days, throughout all their families.