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, the whole congregation, came into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people abode 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 assembled 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 quarreled with Moses, and said thus, Oh that we had but perished when our brethren perished before the Lord!

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

And why have ye brought the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to die there, we 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 wherefore have ye caused us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place for sowing, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; and water even there is none 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 unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

7 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

And the Lord spoke unto 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 staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, with Aaron thy brother, and ye shall speak unto the rock before their eyes, that it shall give forth its water; and thou shalt 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 the staff from before the Lord, as he had 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 assembled the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels! shall we out of this rock bring forth water for you?

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 he smote the rock with his staff twice: and there came out much water, and the congregation drank, together with 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 unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not confided in me, to sanctify me before the eyes of the children of Israel: therefore shall ye not bring this congregation into the land which I have given to 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.

These are the waters of Meribah; where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through which he was sanctified.

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 unto the king of Edom, Thus hath said thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the hardship that hath 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 dwelt in Egypt many days; and the Egyptians did evil to us, and to 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 unto the Lord, and he heard our voice, and he sent a messenger, and caused us to go forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the outmost end of thy 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, we pray thee, through thy country; we will not pass through field, or through vineyard, and we will not drink the water of the wells: by the king's highway will we go, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.

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 unto him, Thou shalt not pass through my land, lest I come against thee 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 unto him, We will go by the highway: and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I pay its value; I will do thee no injury, only on foot will I pass through.

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, Thou shalt not pass 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.

And as Edom thus refused to permit Israel to pass through his border, 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 set forward from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

23 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on Edom's border. He said,

And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron at mount Hor, by the boundary of the land of Edom, as followeth,

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 unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my order at the waters of Meribah.

25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor.

Take Aaron and Elazar, his son, and cause them to go up unto 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 cause Aaron to take off his garments, and clothe therewith Elazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered in, and he 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 had commanded; and they went up to mount Hor before the eyes 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 caused Aaron to take off his garments, and he clothed therewith Elazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount; and Moses and Elazar then 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 departed, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.