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.

Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam 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 against 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 strived with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would God that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!

4 Why have you brought Yahweh's community into this wilderness to die here, we and our animals?

And why have you brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

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 why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to 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.

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 the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell on 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 the rod, and gather you the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak you to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock: so you shall give the congregation and their beasts drink.

9 Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

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 gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we fetch 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 with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

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 spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because you believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of 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 Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with 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 Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus says your brother Israel, You know all the travail that has befallen 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.

How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelled in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed 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 when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of your border:

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.”

Let us pass, I pray you, through your country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor 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 by me, lest I come out against you with the sword.

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 said to him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of your water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.

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 go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong 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.

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: why Israel turned away from him.

22 So the people journeyed from Kadesh. The people of Israel, the whole community, came to Mount Hor.

And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came to mount Hor.

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 Hor, by the coast 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.

Aaron shall be gathered to his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

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 mount Hor:

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 strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there.

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: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of 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 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

29 When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the entire nation wept for Aaron for thirty days.

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