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 children of Israel, and all the multitude came into the desert of Sin, in the first month: and the people abode in Cades. And Mary died there, and 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 the people wanting water, 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 making a sedition, they said: Would God we had perished among our brethren 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 out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both we and our cattle should 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 have you made us come up out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there any 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 leaving the multitude, went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and fell flat upon the ground, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur. 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 assemble the people together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall drink.

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

Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded 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 together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we bring you forth 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.

And when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank,

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 have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give 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 children of Israel strove with words 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;

In the mean time Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, to say: Thus saith thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the labour that hath come upon 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;

In what manner our fathers went down into Egypt, and there we dwelt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted 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 to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt. Lo, we are now in the city of Cades, which is in the uttermost of thy 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 beseech thee that we may have leave to pass through thy country. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, we will not drink the waters of thy wells, but we will go by the common highway, neither turning aside to the right hand, nor to the left, till we are past thy borders.

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

And Edom answered them: Thou shalt not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.

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 children of Israel said: We will go by the beaten way: and if we and our cattle drink of thy waters, we will give thee what is just: there shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us pass speedily.

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: Thou shalt not pass. And immediately he came forth to meet them with an infinite multitude, and a strong hand,

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

Neither would he condescend to their desire to grant them passage through his borders. Wherefore Israel turned another way 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 removed the camp from Cades, they came to mount Her, which is in 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, saith he, go to his people: for he shall not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because he was incredulous to my words, 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 bring them up into 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 thou hast stripped the father of his vesture, thou shalt vest therewith Eleazar his son: Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and die there.

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

Moses did as the Lord had commanded: and they went up into mount Hor before all the 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 stripped Aaron of his vestments, he vested Eleazar his son with them. And Aaron being dead in the top of the mountain, he 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 all the multitude seeing that Aaron was dead, mourned for him thirty days throughout all their families.