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.

The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, 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 congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

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

The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!

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

Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?

5 And therefore [is] this? You 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 have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water 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.

Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them.

7 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”

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

Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

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

Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”

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.

Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

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

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

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

These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

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

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has 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.

how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.

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 your coasts.

When we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.

17 We will pass through your land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of your 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 your borders.

“Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

18 And Edom said to him, You shall not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet you in war.

Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

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

The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

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

He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

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

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

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

They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

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

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

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

“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.

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

Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;

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].

and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

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

Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

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.

Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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

When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.