1 T hen the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.

Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there.

2 N ow there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.

3 A nd the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!

The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “ If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!

4 W hy have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?

Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?

5 A nd why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”

Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”

6 S o Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them;

7 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, The Water of Meribah

8 “ Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”

“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.”

9 S o Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.

So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him;

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

and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “ Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”

11 T hen Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

12 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “ Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 T his was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them. Passage Through Edom Refused

Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.

14 N ow Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. “Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us;

15 h ow our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly.

16 W hen we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

But when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.

17 P lease let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from 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 through your territory.’”

Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.’”

18 T hen Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

Edom, however, said to him, “You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword against you.”

19 S o the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more. ”

Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.”

20 T hen he said, “You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.

But he said, “ You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand.

21 T hus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him. Death of Aaron

Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

22 N ow the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

Now when they set out from Kadesh, the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. Death of Aaron

23 A nd the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

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

“Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

25 T ake Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;

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

26 a nd strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.”

and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there.”

27 S o Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

So Moses did just as the Lord had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28 M oses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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

29 N ow when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.