Numbers 20

1 And the sones of Israel and al the multitude camen in to the deseert of Syn, in the firste monethe. And the puple dwellide in Cades; and Marie was deed there, and biried in the same place.

In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

2 And whanne the puple hadde nede to watir, thei yeden togidere ayens Moises and Aaron; and thei weren turned in to dissensioun,

Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.

3 and seiden, We wolden that we hadden perischid among oure britheren bifor the Lord.

The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!

4 Whi han ye led out the chirche of the Lord in to wildirnesse, that bothe we and oure beestis die?

Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?

5 Whi han ye maad vs to stie from Egipt, and han brouyt vs in to this werste place, which may not be sowun, which nether bryngith forth fige tre, nether vineris, nether pumgranatis, ferthermore and hath not watir to drynke?

Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

6 And whanne the multitude was left, Moises and Aaron entriden in to the tabernacle of boond of pees, and felden lowe to erthe, and crieden to God, and seiden, Lord God, here the cry of this puple, and opene to hem thi tresour, a welle of quyk watir, that whanne thei ben fillid, the grutchyng of hem ceesse. And the glorie of the Lord apperide on hem;

Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

7 and the Lord spak to Moises,

And the LORD said to Moses,

8 and seide, Take the yerde, and gadere the puple, thou, and Aaron thi brother; and speke ye to the stoon bifore hem, and it schal yyue watris. And whanne thou hast led watir out of the stoon, al the multitude schal drynke, and the beestis therof `schulden drynke.

“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

9 Therfor Moises took the yerde that was in the `siyt of the Lord, as the Lord comaundide to hym,

So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.

10 whanne the multitude was gaderid bifor the stoon; and he seide to hem, Here ye, rebel and vnbileueful; whether we moun brynge out of this stoon watir to you?

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

11 And whanne Moises hadde reisid the hond, and hadde smyte the flynt twies with the yerde, largeste watris yeden out, so that the puple drank, and the beestis drunken.

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

12 And the Lord seide to Moises and to Aaron, For ye bileueden not to me, that ye schulden halewe me bifor the sones of Israel, ye schulen not lede these puples in to the lond which Y schal yyue to hem.

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

13 This is the watir of ayenseiyng; there the sones of Israel stryueden ayens the Lord, and he was halewid in hem.

These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.

14 In the meene tyme Moises sente messangeres fro Cades to the kyng of Edom, whiche seiden, Israel thi brother sendith these thinges. Thou knowist al the trauel that took vs,

From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

15 hou oure fadris yeden doun in to Egipt, and we dwelliden there myche tyme, and Egipcians turmentiden vs and oure fadris; and hou we crieden to the Lord,

how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,

16 and he herde vs, and sente an aungel that ledde vs out of Egipt. And lo! we ben set in the citee of Cades, which is in thi laste coostis,

and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

17 and we bisechen that it be leueful to vs to passe thorou thi lond; we schulen not go bi feeldis, nether bi vyneris, nether we schulen drynke watris of thi pittis; but we schulen go in the comyn weie, and we schulen not bowe to the riyt side, nether to the left side, til we passen thi termes.

Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

18 To whom Edom answeride, Ye schulen not passe bi me, ellis Y schal be armed, and come ayens thee.

But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”

19 And the sones of Israel seiden, We schulen go bi the weie comynli vsid, and if we and oure beestis drynken thi watris, we schulen yyue that that is iust; noon hardnesse schal be in prijs, onely passe we swiftli.

“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”

20 And he answeride, Ye schulen not passe. And anoon he yede out ayens Israel, with a multitude without noumbre, and `strong hond,

But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.

21 nether he wolde assente to Israel bisechynge, that he schulde graunte passage bi hise coostis. Wherfor Israel turnede awey fro hym.

So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

22 And whanne thei hadden moued tentis fro Cades, thei camen in to the hil of Hor, which is in the endis of the lond of Edom;

After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.

23 where the Lord spak to Moyses and seide, Aaron go to his puples;

And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

24 for he schal not entre in to the lond which Y yaf to the sones of Israel, for he was vnbileueful to my mouth, at the watris of ayenseiyng.

“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

25 Take thou Aaron, and his sone with hym, and thou schalt lede hem in to the hil of Hor;

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

26 and whanne thou hast maad nakid the fadir of his cloth, thou schalt clothe `with it Eleazar, his sone, and Aaron schal be gederid, and schal die there.

Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”

27 Moises dide as the Lord comaundide; and thei stieden in to the hil of Hor, bifor al the multitude.

So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation.

28 And whanne he hadde maad nakid Aaron of hise clothis, he clothide with tho Eleazar, his sone. Sotheli whanne Aaron was deed in the `cop of the hil, Moises cam doun with Eleazar.

After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29 Sotheli al the multitude siy that Aaron was deed, and wepte on hym thretti daies, bi alle her meyness.

When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.