< 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.
So the people of Israel, the whole community, went into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 And there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron,
There was no water for the community, so they assembled 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!
The people complained against Moses. They said, “It would have been better if we had died when our fellow Israelites died in front of Yahweh!
4 and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts?
Why have you brought Yahweh's community into this wilderness to die here, we and our animals?
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 make us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this horrible place? Here there is no seed, figs, vines, or pomegranates, and there is no 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.
So Moses and Aaron went away from in front of the assembly. They went to the entrance of the tent of meeting and lay facedown. There Yahweh's brilliant glory appeared to them.
7 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
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 staff and assemble the community, you, and Aaron your brother. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and command it to flow with water. You will produce water for them out of that rock, and you must give it to the community and their cattle to drink.”
9 And Moses taketh the rod from before Jehovah, as He hath commanded him,
Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.
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?'
Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels. Must we bring water out of this rock for you?”
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.
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and much water came out. The community drank, and their cattle drank.
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.'
Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me or honor me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”
13 These [are] waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have 'striven' with Jehovah, and He is sanctified upon them.
This place was called the waters of Meribah because the people of Israel had quarreled with Yahweh there, and he showed himself to them as holy.
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;
Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: Your brother Israel says this: “You know all the difficulties that have happened to 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;
You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians treated us harshly and also our ancestors.
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.
When we called out to Yahweh, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your land.
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.'
I am asking you to let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the water in your wells. We will go along the king's highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your border.”
18 And Edom saith unto him, 'Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.'
But the king of Edom replied to him, “You may not pass through here. If you do, I will come with the sword to attack you.”
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.'
Then the people of Israel said to him, “We will go along the highway. If we or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us walk through on foot, without doing anything else.”
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 the king of Edom replied, “You may not pass through.” So the king of Edom came against Israel with a strong hand with many soldiers.
21 and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.
The king of Edom refused to allow Israel to cross over their border. Because of this, Israel turned away from the land of Edom.
22 And the sons of Israel, the whole company, journey from Kadesh, and come in unto mount Hor,
So the people journeyed from Kadesh. The people of Israel, the whole community, came to Mount Hor.
23 and Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,
Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on Edom's border. He said,
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.
“Aaron must be gathered to his people, for he will not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel. This is because you both rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.
25 'Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and cause them to go up mount Hor,
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up 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.'
Take Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron must die and be gathered to his people 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 as Yahweh commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the community.
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,
Moses took Aaron's priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down.
29 and all the company see that Aaron hath expired, and they bewail Aaron thirty days — all the house of Israel.
When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the entire nation wept for Aaron for thirty days.

< Numbers 20 >