Numbers 20
1 So the people of Israel, the whole community, went into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
And the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there, and was buried there.
2 There was no water for the community, so they assembled together against Moses and Aaron.
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.
3 The people complained against Moses. They said, “It would have been better if we had died when our fellow Israelites died in front of Yahweh!
And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our brethren before the Lord!
4 Why have you brought Yahweh's community into this wilderness to die here, we and our animals?
And therefore have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?
5 Why did you make us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this horrible place? Here there is no seed, figs, vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”
And therefore [is] this? You have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there water to drink.
6 So Moses and Aaron went away from in front of the assembly. They went to the entrance of the tent of meeting and lay facedown. There Yahweh's brilliant glory appeared to them.
And Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of witness, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
8 “Take the staff and assemble the community, you, and Aaron your brother. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and command it to flow with water. You will produce water for them out of that rock, and you must give it to the community and their cattle to drink.”
Take your rod, and call the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak you to the rock before them, and it shall give forth its waters; and you shall bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.
9 Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.
And Moses took his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.
10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels. Must we bring water out of this rock for you?”
And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and said to them, Hear me, you disobedient ones; must we bring you water out of this rock?
11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and much water came out. The community drank, and their cattle drank.
And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and much water came forth, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.
12 Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me or honor me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you have not believed me to sanctify me before the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13 This place was called the waters of Meribah because the people of Israel had quarreled with Yahweh there, and he showed himself to them as holy.
This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: Your brother Israel says this: “You know all the difficulties that have happened to us.
And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your brother Israel; You know all the distress that has come upon us.
15 You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians treated us harshly and also our ancestors.
And [how] our fathers went down into Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.
16 When we called out to Yahweh, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your land.
And we cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt; and now we are in the city of Cades, at the extremity of your coasts.
17 I am asking you to let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the water in your wells. We will go along the king's highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your border.”
We will pass through your land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of your cistern: we will go by the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed your borders.
18 But the king of Edom replied to him, “You may not pass through here. If you do, I will come with the sword to attack you.”
And Edom said to him, You shall not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet you in war.
19 Then the people of Israel said to him, “We will go along the highway. If we or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us walk through on foot, without doing anything else.”
And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and my cattle drink of your water, I will pay you: but it is no matter of importance, we will go by the mountain.
20 But the king of Edom replied, “You may not pass through.” So the king of Edom came against Israel with a strong hand with many soldiers.
And he said, You shall not pass through me; and Edom went forth to meet him with a great host, and a mighty hand.
21 The king of Edom refused to allow Israel to cross over their border. Because of this, Israel turned away from the land of Edom.
So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Israel turned away from him.
22 So the people journeyed from Kadesh. The people of Israel, the whole community, came to Mount Hor.
And they departed from Cades; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Or.
23 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on Edom's border. He said,
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Or, on the borders of the land of Edom, saying,
24 “Aaron must be gathered to his people, for he will not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel. This is because you both rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.
Let Aaron be added to his people; for you shall certainly not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because you provoked me at the water of strife.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor.
Take Aaron, and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to the mount Or before all the congregation;
26 Take Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron must die and be gathered to his people there.”
and take Aaron's apparel from off him, and put it on Eleazar his son: and let Aaron die there and be added to [his people].
27 Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the community.
And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and took him up to mount Or, before all the congregation.
28 Moses took Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down.
And he took Aaron's garments off him, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29 When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the entire nation wept for Aaron for thirty days.
And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead: and they wept for Aaron thirty days, [even] all the house of Israel.
