1 T he 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.

Then all the people of Israel came to the Desert of Zin in the first month. And the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried.

2 T here was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

Now there was no water for the people, and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

3 T he people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Yahweh!

The people complained to Moses, saying, “If only we had died when our brothers died before the Lord!

4 W hy have you brought Yahweh’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?

Why have you brought the Lord’s people into this desert, for us and our animals to die here?

5 W hy 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.”

Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us into this bad place? It is not a place of grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink.”

6 M oses 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.

Then Moses and Aaron went from the people to the door of the meeting tent, and bowed to the ground. They saw the shining-greatness of the Lord.

7 Y ahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

8 “ 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.”

“Take the special stick. You and your brother Aaron gather the people together. Speak to the rock in front of them and it will give its water. So you will bring water out of the rock for them. Let the people and their animals drink.”

9 M oses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.

So Moses took the special stick from before the Lord, just as He had told him.

10 M oses 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?”

Moses and Aaron gathered the people in front of the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you people who go against the Lord. Should we bring water for you out of this rock?”

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

Then Moses lifted up his hand and hit the rock twice with his stick, and more than enough water came out. The people and their animals drank.

12 Y ahweh 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.”

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me and honored Me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring these people into the land I have given them.”

13 T hese are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them.

These were the waters of Meribah because the people of Israel complained against the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.

14 M oses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the travail that has happened to us;

Moses sent men from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, “This is what your brother Israel has said: ‘You know all the troubles we have had.

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

Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians were bad in the way they acted toward us.

16 W hen 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.

But we cried out to the Lord. He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt. Now look, we are at Kadesh, a town at the side of your country.

17 “ 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 aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

We ask you to let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vines. We will not even drink water from a well. We will go on the king’s road and will not turn to the right or left, until we pass through your country.’”

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

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

19 T he 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.”

The people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the straight road. If I and my animals do drink any of your water, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.”

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

But Edom said, “You must not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with many men and much strength.

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

Edom would not let Israel pass through his country. So Israel turned away from him.

22 T hey traveled from Kadesh: and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

When they traveled from Kadesh, all the people of Israel came to Mount Hor.

23 Y ahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

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

24 “ 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.

“Aaron will be buried with his people. For he will not go into the land I have given to the people of Israel, because you went against what I told you to do 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. Aaron shall be taken, and shall die there.”

Take the clothing off Aaron and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will die there and be buried with his people.”

27 M oses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

Moses did just as the Lord had told him. They went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the people.

28 M oses 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.

After Moses had taken the clothing off Aaron and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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

When all the people saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel cried in sorrow for Aaron thirty days.