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.

It was during the first month of the year that all the Israelites arrived in the Desert of Zin and set up camp in Kadesh. (This was where Miriam died and was buried.)

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

However, there was no water there for anyone to drink, so the people gathered to confront Moses and Aaron.

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

They argued with Moses, saying, “If only we'd died with our relatives in the Lord's presence!

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

Why have you brought the Lord's people into this desert just so we and our livestock can die here?

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.”

Why did you lead us out of Egypt to come to this awful place? Nothing grows here—no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates. And there's no water 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.

Moses and Aaron left the people and went to entrance of the Tent of Meeting. There they fell facedown on the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

7 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord told Moses,

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 walking stick and have the people gather around you. As they watch, you and your brother Aaron will order the rock and it will pour out water. You will bring water from the rock so the people and their livestock can drink.”

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

Moses picked up the walking stick that was kept in the Lord's presence, as he had been ordered.

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?”

Moses and Aaron had everyone gather in front of the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen, you bunch of rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?”

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.

Then Moses picked up the walking stick and hit the rock twice. Streams of water gushed out so that the people and their livestock could 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.”

But the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn't trust me enough to demonstrate how holy I am to the Israelites, you will not be the ones to lead them into the country I've given them.”

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

The place where the Israelites argued with the Lord was called the waters of Meribah, and was where he revealed his holiness to 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;

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, telling him, “This is what your brother Israel says. You know all about the difficulties we've faced.

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

Our forefathers went to Egypt and we lived there for a long time. The Egyptians treated us and our forefathers badly,

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.

so we called out to the Lord for help, and he heard our cries. He sent an angel and led us out of Egypt. Listen, now we are in Kadesh, a town on the border of your territory.

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.”

Please allow us to travel through your country. We won't cross any of your fields or vineyards, or drink water from any of your wells. We will stay on the King's Highway; we won't turn off either to the right or to the left until we have passed through your country.”

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

But the king of Edom replied, “You are forbidden to travel through our country, otherwise we will come out and stop you by force.”

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.”

“We'll keep to the main road,” the Israelites persisted. “If we or our livestock drink your water, we'll pay you for it. That's all we want—just to pass through on foot.”

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

But the king of Edom insisted, “You are forbidden to travel through our country!” He came out with his large and powerful army to meet the Israelites head-on.

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

Since the king of Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through his territory, the Israelites had to turn back.

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

The Israelites all left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

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

At Mount Hor, near the border with the country of Edom, the Lord told Moses and Aaron,

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 will shortly join his forefathers in death. He will not enter the country I have given the Israelites, because you both disobeyed my command at the waters of Meribah.

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

Have Aaron and his son Eleazar join you and climb up Mount Hor together.

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

Take off Aaron's priestly clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron is going to die there and join his forefathers in death.”

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

Moses did as the Lord ordered: They climbed up Mount Hor in full view of all the Israelites.

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.

Moses removed the priestly clothes that Aaron was wearing and put them on Aaron's son Eleazar. Aaron died there, on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar went back down.

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

When the people realized that Aaron had died, they all mourned for him for thirty days.