Numbers 20

1 It was during the first month of the year that all the Israelites arrived in the Desert of Zin and set up camp in Kadesh. (This was where Miriam died and was buried.)

Then came the sons of Israel the whole assembly, into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people dwelt in Kadesh, —and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

2 However, there was no water there for anyone to drink, so the people gathered to confront Moses and Aaron.

And there was no water for the assembly, —so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.

3 They argued with Moses, saying, “If only we'd died with our relatives in the Lord's presence!

And the people contended with Moses, —and spake saying, Would then we had died when our brethren died, before Yahweh!

4 Why have you brought the Lord's people into this desert just so we and our livestock can die here?

Wherefore then hast thou brought the convocation of Yahweh into this desert, —to die there, we, and our cattle?

5 Why did you lead us out of Egypt to come to this awful place? Nothing grows here—no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates. And there's no water to drink!”

And wherefore did ye cause us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this wretched place?—not a place of seeds, and figs, and vines and pomegranates, even water, is there none to drink.

6 Moses and Aaron left the people and went to entrance of the Tent of Meeting. There they fell facedown on the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

And Moses and Aaron went in from the presence of the multitude unto the entrance of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces, —and the glory of Yahweh appeared unto them.

7 The Lord told Moses,

Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:

8 “Take the walking stick and have the people gather around you. As they watch, you and your brother Aaron will order the rock and it will pour out water. You will bring water from the rock so the people and their livestock can drink.”

Take the staff and gather together the assembly, thou, and Aaron thy brother, then shall ye speak unto the cliff before their eyes and it shall give forth its waters, —so shalt thou bring forth unto them water, out of the cliff, and shalt cause the assembly, and their cattle to drink.

9 Moses picked up the walking stick that was kept in the Lord's presence, as he had been ordered.

And Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, —as he commanded him.

10 Moses and Aaron had everyone gather in front of the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen, you bunch of rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?”

And Moses and Aaron gathered together the convocation before the cliff, —and he said unto them: Hear I pray you ye rebels! Out of this cliff, must we bring forth for you water?

11 Then Moses picked up the walking stick and hit the rock twice. Streams of water gushed out so that the people and their livestock could drink.

And Moses lifted high his hand and smote the cliff with his staff, twice, —and there came forth water in abundance, and the assembly and their cattle, did drink.

12 But the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn't trust me enough to demonstrate how holy I am to the Israelites, you will not be the ones to lead them into the country I've given them.”

Then said Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to hallow me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore, shall ye not bring in this convocation into the land which I have given unto them.

13 The place where the Israelites argued with the Lord was called the waters of Meribah, and was where he revealed his holiness to them.

The same, were the waters of Meribah [that is "Contention"] in that the sons of Israel contended with Yahweh, —and so he hallowed himself among them.

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, telling him, “This is what your brother Israel says. You know all about the difficulties we've faced.

And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh, unto the king of Edom, —Thus, saith thy brother Israel, Thou thyself, knowest all the distress which befell us;

15 Our forefathers went to Egypt and we lived there for a long time. The Egyptians treated us and our forefathers badly,

and how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we abode in Egypt, many days, and that the Egyptians ill-treated us, and our fathers;

16 so we called out to the Lord for help, and he heard our cries. He sent an angel and led us out of Egypt. Listen, now we are in Kadesh, a town on the border of your territory.

and we made outcry unto Yahweh, and he heard our voice, and sent a messenger, and brought us forth out of Egypt, —lo! then, we, are in Kadesh, a city at the extremity of thy boundary,

17 Please allow us to travel through your country. We won't cross any of your fields or vineyards, or drink water from any of your wells. We will stay on the King's Highway; we won't turn off either to the right or to the left until we have passed through your country.”

Let us, we pray thee, pass through thy land—we will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the waters of a well, —by the king’s road, will we go—we will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left, until we get through thy boundary.

18 But the king of Edom replied, “You are forbidden to travel through our country, otherwise we will come out and stop you by force.”

And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through my land, —lest with the sword, I come out to meet thee.

19 “We'll keep to the main road,” the Israelites persisted. “If we or our livestock drink your water, we'll pay you for it. That's all we want—just to pass through on foot.”

And the sons of Israel said unto him—By the highway, will we go up, and if thy waters, we should drink—I, and my cattle then would I give the price thereof, —only—it is nothing!—with my feet, would I pass through.

20 But the king of Edom insisted, “You are forbidden to travel through our country!” He came out with his large and powerful army to meet the Israelites head-on.

And he said, Thou shalt not pass through. And Edom came out to meet him, with a strong people, and with a firm hand.

21 Since the king of Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through his territory, the Israelites had to turn back.

Thus did Edom refuse to give Israel passage through his boundary, —and Israel turned away from him.

22 The Israelites all left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

Then set they forward from Kadesh, —and the sons of Israel. all the assembly, came in to Mount Hor.

23 At Mount Hor, near the border with the country of Edom, the Lord told Moses and Aaron,

Then spake Yahweh unto Moses and unto Aaron in Mount Hor, —near the boundary of the land of Edom saying:

24 “Aaron will shortly join his forefathers in death. He will not enter the country I have given the Israelites, because you both disobeyed my command at the waters of Meribah.

Aaron shall be withdrawn unto his kinsfolk, for he shall not enter into the land. which I have given unto the sons of Israel, —because ye spurned my bidding, at the waters of Meribah.

25 Have Aaron and his son Eleazar join you and climb up Mount Hor together.

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

26 Take off Aaron's priestly clothes and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron is going to die there and join his forefathers in death.”

and strip thou Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son, —and, Aaron, shall be withdrawn and shall die there.

27 Moses did as the Lord ordered: They climbed up Mount Hor in full view of all the Israelites.

And Moses did as Yahweh commanded, —and they went up into, Mount Hor, in sight of all the assembly.

28 Moses removed the priestly clothes that Aaron was wearing and put them on Aaron's son Eleazar. Aaron died there, on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar went back down.

And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son, and Aaron died there, in the top of the mount, —and Moses and Eleazar came down out of the mount.

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

And all the assembly saw that Aaron was dead; and they bewailed Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.