Numbers 20

1 The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.

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.

2 There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

And there was no water for the assembly, —so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.

3 The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!

And the people contended with Moses, —and spake saying, Would then we had died when our brethren died, before Yahweh!

4 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?

Wherefore then hast thou brought the convocation of Yahweh into this desert, —to die there, we, and our cattle?

5 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.”

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.

6 Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them.

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.

7 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:

8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”

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.

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

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

10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”

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?

11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

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.

12 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

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.

13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

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.

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us;

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;

15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.

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;

16 When we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.

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,

17 “Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

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.

18 Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

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

19 The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

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.

20 He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

And he said, Thou shalt not pass through. And Edom came out to meet him, with a strong people, and with a firm hand.

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

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

22 They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

Then set they forward from Kadesh, —and the sons of Israel. all the assembly, came in to Mount Hor.

23 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron in Mount Hor, —near the boundary of the land of Edom saying:

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 you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.

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.

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

Take thou Aaron, and Eleazar his son, —and bring them up Mount Hor;

26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

and strip thou Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son, —and, Aaron, shall be withdrawn and shall die there.

27 Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

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

28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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.

29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

And all the assembly saw that Aaron was dead; and they bewailed Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.