Numbers 20

1 Then came the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

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.

2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron.

There was no water for the community, so they assembled together against Moses and Aaron.

3 And the people chid with Moses, and spoke, saying, O that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

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!

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

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

5 And why have ye conducted us from Egypt, to bring us 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.

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.”

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

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.

7 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

8 Take the rod, and convene thou the assembly, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth its water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give drink to the congregation and their beasts.

“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.”

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

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

10 And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

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?”

11 And Moses lifted 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].

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.

12 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

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.”

13 This [is] the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

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.

14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

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.

15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians afflicted us, and our fathers:

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.

16 And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth from Egypt: and behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

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.

17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy 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 thy borders.

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.”

18 And Edom said to him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

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.”

19 And the children of Israel said to him, We will go by the highway: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without [doing] any thing [else], go through on my feet.

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.”

20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

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.

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

The king of Edom refused to allow Israel to cross over their border. Because of this, Israel turned away from the land of Edom.

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

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

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

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

24 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 ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

“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.

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

Take Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron must die and be gathered to his people there.”

27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they ascended mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the community.

28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

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.

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

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