Numbers 20

1 And the sons of Israel come in, — all the company — to the wilderness of Zin, in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh, and Miriam dieth there, and is buried there.

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 there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron,

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

3 and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!

And as it turned into sedition, they said: “If only we had perished among our brothers in the sight of the Lord.

4 and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts?

Why have you led away the Church of the Lord, into the wilderness, so that both we and our cattle would die?

5 and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink.

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 Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and fall on their faces, and the honour of Jehovah is seen by them.

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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

8 'Take the rod, and assemble the company, thou and Aaron thy brother; and ye have spoken unto the rock before their eyes, and it hath given its water, and thou hast brought out to them water from the rock, and hast watered the company, and their beasts.'

“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 And Moses taketh the rod from before Jehovah, as He hath commanded him,

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

10 and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly unto the front of the rock, and he saith to them, 'Hear, I pray you, O rebels, from this rock do we bring out to you water?'

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 Moses lifteth up his hand, and smiteth the rock with his rod twice; and much water cometh out, and the company drink, also their beasts.

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 Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, 'Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.'

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 These [are] waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have 'striven' with Jehovah, and He is sanctified upon them.

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

14 And Moses sendeth messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, 'Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou — thou hast known all the travail which hath found us;

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 that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers;

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 we cry unto Jehovah, and He heareth our voice, and sendeth a messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and lo, we [are] in Kadesh, a city [in] the extremity of thy border.

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 Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land; we pass not over through a field, or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; the way of the king we go, we turn not aside — right or left — till that we pass over thy border.'

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 And Edom saith unto him, 'Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.'

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

19 And the sons of Israel say unto him, 'In the highway we go, and if of thy waters we drink — I and my cattle — then I have given their price; only (it is nothing) on my feet I pass over.'

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 saith, 'Thou dost not pass over;' and Edom cometh out to meet him with much people, and with a strong hand;

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

21 and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.

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 the sons of Israel, the whole company, journey from Kadesh, and come in unto mount Hor,

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 and Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,

where the Lord spoke to Moses:

24 'Aaron is gathered unto his people, for he doth not go in unto the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that ye provoked My mouth at the waters of Meribah.

“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 Aaron and Eleazar his son, and cause them to go up mount Hor,

Take Aaron, and his son with him, and lead them on to mount Hor.

26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and thou hast clothed [with] them Eleazar his son, and Aaron is gathered, and doth 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 And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded, and they go up unto mount Hor before the eyes of all the company,

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

28 and Moses strippeth Aaron of his garments, and clotheth with them Eleazar his son, and Aaron dieth there on the top of the mount; and Moses cometh down — Eleazar also — from the mount,

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 and all the company see that Aaron hath expired, and they bewail Aaron thirty days — all the house of Israel.

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