Liber Numeri 20
1 Veneruntque filii Israel, et omnis multitudo in desertum Sin, mense primo: et mansit populus in Cades. Mortuaque est ibi Maria, et sepulta in eodem loco.
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 Cumque indigeret aqua populus, convenerunt adversum Moysen et Aaron:
There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3 et versi in seditionem, dixerunt: Utinam periissemus inter fratres nostros coram Domino.
The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Yahweh!
4 Cur eduxistis Ecclesiam Domini in solitudinem, ut et nos et nostra iumenta moriamur?
Why have you brought Yahweh’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
5 Quare nos fecistis ascendere de Ægypto, et adduxistis in locum istum pessimum, qui seri non potest, qui nec ficum gignit, nec vineas, nec malogranata, insuper et aquam non habet ad bibendum?
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 Ingressusque Moyses et Aaron, dimissa multitudine, tabernaculum fœderis, corruerunt proni in terram, clamaveruntque ad Dominum, atque dixerunt: Domine Deus audi clamorem huius populi, et aperi eis thesaurum tuum fontem aquæ vivæ, ut satiati, cesset murmuratio eorum. Et apparuit gloria Domini super eos.
Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. Yahweh’s glory appeared to them.
7 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
8 Tolle virgam, et congrega populum, tu et Aaron frater tuus, et loquimini ad petram coram eis, et illa dabit aquas. Cumque eduxeris aquam de petra, bibet omnis multitudo et iumenta eius.
“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 Tulit igitur Moyses virgam, quæ erat in conspectu Domini, sicut præceperat ei,
Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.
10 congregata multitudine ante petram, dixitque eis: Audite rebelles et increduli: Num de petra hac vobis aquam poterimus eiicere?
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 Cumque elevasset Moyses manum, percutiens virga bis silicem, egressæ sunt aquæ largissimæ, ita ut populus biberet et iumenta.
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 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron: Quia non credidistis mihi, ut sanctificaretis me coram filiis Israel, non introducetis hos populos in terram, quam dabo eis.
Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t 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 Hæc est aqua contradictionis, ubi iurgati sunt filii Israel contra Dominum, et sanctificatus est in eis.
These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them.
14 Misit interea nuncios Moyses de Cades ad regem Edom, qui dicerent: Hæc mandat frater tuus Israel: Nosti omnem laborem qui apprehendit nos,
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 quo modo descenderint patres nostri in Ægyptum, et habitaverimus ibi multo tempore, afflixerintque nos Ægyptii, et patres nostros:
how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.
16 et quo modo clamaverimus ad Dominum, et exaudierit nos, miseritque angelum, qui eduxerit nos de Ægypto. Ecce in urbe Cades, quæ est in extremis finibus tuis, positi,
When we cried to Yahweh, 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 obsecramus ut nobis transire liceat per terram tuam. Non ibimus per agros, nec per vineas, non bibemus aquas de puteis tuis, sed gradiemur via publica, nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram declinantes, donec transeamus terminos tuos.
“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 Cui respondit Edom: Non transibis per me, alioquin armatus occurram tibi.
Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”
19 Dixeruntque filii Israel: Per tritam gradiemur viam: et si biberimus aquas tuas nos et pecora nostra, dabimus quod iustum est: nulla erit in pretio difficultas, tantum velociter transeamus.
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 At ille respondit: Non transibis. Statimque egressus est obvius, cum infinita multitudo, et manu forti,
He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.
21 nec voluit acquiescere deprecanti, ut concederet transitum per fines suos. quam ob rem divertit ab eo Israel.
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.
22 Cumque castra movissent de Cades, venerunt in montem Hor, qui est in finibus terræ Edom:
They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
23 ubi locutus est Dominus ad Moysen:
Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24 Pergat, inquit, Aaron ad populos suos: non enim intrabit Terram, quam dedi filiis Israel, eo quod incredulus fuerit ori meo, ad Aquas contradictionis.
“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 Tolle Aaron et filium eius cum eo, et duces eos in montem Hor.
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;
26 Cumque nudaveris patrem veste sua, indues ea Eleazarum filium eius: Aaron colligetur, et morietur ibi.
and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”
27 Fecit Moyses ut præceperat Dominus: et ascenderunt in montem Hor coram omni multitudine.
Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28 Cumque Aaron spoliasset vestibus suis, induit eis Eleazarum filium eius. Illo mortuo in montis supercilio, descendit cum Eleazaro.
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 Omnis autem multitudo videns occubuisse Aaron, flevit super eo triginta diebus per cunctas familias suas.
When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
