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.

And the sons of Israel, and the entire multitude, went into the desert of Sin, in the first month. And the people stayed at Kadesh. And Miriam died there, and she was buried in the same place.

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

And when the people were in need of water, they came together against Moses and Aaron.

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

And as it turned into sedition, they said: “If only we had perished among our brothers in the sight of 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 led away the Church of the Lord, into the wilderness, so that both we and our cattle would die?

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 did you cause us to ascend from Egypt, and why have you led us into this most wretched place, which is not able to be sown, which does not produce figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and which, moreover, does not even have 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;

And Moses and Aaron, dismissing the multitude, entered the tabernacle of the covenant, and they fell prone on the ground, and they cried out to the Lord, and they said: “O Lord God, listen to the outcry of this people, and open for them, from your storehouse, a fountain of living water, so that, being satisfied, their murmuring may cease.” And the glory of the Lord appeared over them.

7 and the Lord spak to Moises,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

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 rod, and gather the people, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall bestow waters. And when you have brought forth water from the rock, the entire multitude and their cattle shall drink.”

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

Therefore, Moses took the rod, which was in the sight of the Lord, just as he had instructed him.

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?

And having gathered the multitude before the rock, he said to them: “Listen, you who are rebellious and unbelieving. Would we be able to cast out water from 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.

And when Moses had lifted up his hand, striking the stone twice with the rod, very great waters went forth, so much so that the people and their cattle 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.

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me, so as to sanctify me before the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this people into the land, which I will give to them.”

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

This is the Water of Contradiction, where the sons of Israel were quarreling against the Lord, and he was sanctified in 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,

Meanwhile, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. They said: “Your brother Israel says this: You know of all the hardships which have overtaken 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 descended into Egypt, and we lived there for a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted both 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 how we cried out to the Lord, and he heeded us and sent an Angel, who led us away from Egypt. Behold, we are situated in the city of Kadesh, which is at the extremity of your borders.

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.

And we beg you to permit us to cross through your land. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards; we will not drink the waters of your wells, but we will travel by the public ways, neither turning aside to the right, nor to the left, until we have passed your borders.”

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

Edom responded to them: “You shall not cross through me, otherwise, I will meet you armed.”

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.

And the sons of Israel said: “We will travel by the well-trodden path. And if we or our cattle drink from your waters, we will give you what is just. There shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us cross through quickly.”

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

But he answered, “You shall not cross.” And immediately he went out to meet them with a countless multitude 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.

neither was he willing to agree to their petition to concede passage through his borders. For this reason, Israel diverted away from him.

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;

And when they had moved the camp from Kadesh, they arrived at mount Hor, which is at the borders of the land of Edom,

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

where the Lord spoke to Moses:

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.

“Let Aaron,” he said, “go to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because he did not believe my mouth at the Waters of Contradiction.

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 with him, and lead them on to 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.

And when you have stripped the father of his vestments, you shall put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron shall be gathered and shall die there.”

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

Moses did just as the Lord had instructed. And they ascended mount Hor, in the sight of the entire multitude.

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.

And when he had despoiled Aaron of his vestments, he clothed his son Eleazar with them. And when Aaron had died at the top of the mountain, Moses came down with Eleazar.

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

And the entire multitude, seeing that Aaron lay dead, wept over him for thirty days, throughout all their families.