Numbers 20

1 And the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there, and was buried there.

In March/April [of the next year], the Israeli people traveled/walked to the Zin Desert and (camped/set up their tents) near Kadesh [town]. While they/we were there, [Moses’/my older sister] Miriam died and was buried there.

2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.

There was no water for the people to drink there, so they came to Aaron and Moses/me.

3 And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our brethren before the Lord!

They complained and said, “We wish that we had died in front of Yahweh’s Sacred Tent when our fellow Israelis died!

4 And wherefore have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?

(Did you bring us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock?/You brought us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock!) [RHQ]

5 And wherefore [is] this? Ye have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there water to drink.

Why did you bring us from Egypt to this miserable place [RHQ]? There is no grain, there are no figs, no grapes, and no pomegranates here. And there is no water for us to drink!”

6 And Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of witness, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

Aaron and Moses/I turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Sacred Tent and prostrated themselves/ourselves on the ground. Then Yahweh appeared to them/us with his bright glory,

7 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

and he said to Moses/me,

8 Take thy rod, and call the assembly, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye to the rock before them, and it shall give forth its waters; and ye shall bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.

“You and Aaron must take Aaron’s walking stick with you and gather all the people together. While the people are watching, command that water will flow out of that [large] rock over there. Water for the people will flow from it; all they and all their livestock will have enough water to drink.”

9 And Moses took his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.

So Moses/I did what Yahweh told him/me to do. He/I took Aaron’s walking stick from the place in the Sacred Tent where it was kept.

10 And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and said to them, Hear me, ye disobedient ones; must we bring you water out of this rock?

Then Aaron and he/I summoned all the people to gather at the rock. Then Moses/I shouted to them, “All you rebellious people, listen! Is it necessary for us to give you water from this rock?”

11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and much water came forth, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

Then Moses/I raised his/my hand and [instead of speaking to the rock], he/I struck the rock two times with the walking stick. And water gushed/poured out. So all the people and their livestock drank all the water that they wanted.

12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not believed me to sanctify me before the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

But Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me, “You did not believe that I could demonstrate my power to the Israeli people [and give them water without your striking the rock]. So you will not lead them into the land that I am giving to them!”

13 This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

Later this place was called Meribah, [which means ‘arguing’], because there the Israeli people argued with Yahweh, and there he showed his power to them [by giving them water].

14 And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says thy brother Israel; Thou knowest all the distress that has come upon us.

[While the people were] at Kadesh [town], Moses/I sent messengers to the king of Edom to tell him this: “Your relatives, the Israeli people, are sending you this message. You know the many troubles/hardships that have happened to us.

15 And [how] our fathers went down into Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt. You know that they stayed there for many years. They suffered because the [rulers of] Egypt caused them to become their slaves [and to work very hard].

16 And we cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt; and now we are in the city of Cades, at the extremity of thy coasts.

“But when they called out to Yahweh, he heard them and sent an angel who brought them out of Egypt. Now we have set up our tents here at Kadesh, a town at the border of your land.

17 We will pass through thy land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of thy cistern: we will go by the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

Please allow us to travel through your country. We will [be careful to] not walk through your fields and your vineyards. We will not even drink water from your wells. As we travel, we will stay on the king’s highway, [the main road that goes from the south to the north], and we will not leave that road until we have crossed the border [of your country in the north].”

18 And Edom said to him, Thou shalt not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet thee in war.

But the king of Edom refused. He replied, “Stay out of my country! If you try [to enter it], I will [send my army to] attack you!”

19 And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, I will pay thee: but it is no matter of importance, we will go by the mountain.

The Israeli messengers replied, “[If we travel through your country], we will stay on the main road. If we and any of our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We want only to travel through your country. We do not want anything else.”

20 And he said, Thou shalt not pass through me; and Edom went forth to meet him with a great host, and a mighty hand.

But the king replied, “No! Stay out of our country! We will not [allow you] to travel through our land!” Then he sent the strongest soldiers in his army to prevent the Israelis [from entering his country].

21 So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Israel turned away from him.

So, because [the king of] Edom refused to allow the Israelis to travel through his country, the Israelis turned [and traveled a different way].

22 And they departed from Cades; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Or.

The Israeli people left Kadesh. They went to Hor Mountain,

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Or, on the borders of the land of Edom, saying,

[which is at the border of Edom]. While they were there, Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,

24 Let Aaron be added to his people; for ye shall certainly not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because ye provoked me at the water of strife.

“It is time for Aaron to die [EUP]. He will not enter the land that I am giving to you Israelis, because the two of you disobeyed me [when I told you to speak to the rock to cause] the water [to flow] at Meribah.

25 Take Aaron, and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to the mount Or before all the congregation;

Now you, Moses, take Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Hor Mountain.

26 and take Aaron's apparel from off him, and put it on Eleazar his son: and let Aaron die there and be added to [his people].

There you must remove Aaron’s robes [that he wears when he does the work of a priest], and put them on his son, Eleazar. Aaron will die up there.”

27 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and took him up to mount Or, before all the congregation.

So Moses/I did what Yahweh commanded. The three of them/us climbed up Hor Mountain, while all the Israeli people watched.

28 And he took Aaron's garments off him, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

At the top of the mountain, Moses/I took off the robes that Aaron wore [while he did the work of a priest] and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Eleazar and Moses/I went back down.

29 And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead: and they wept for Aaron thirty days, [even] all the house of Israel.

When the Israeli people realized that Aaron had died, they all mourned for him for 30 days.