Numbers 20

Modern

Literal

Water from the Rock

¹In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

¹And the sons of Israel came, all the congregation, into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.

²Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.

²And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

³The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!

³And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “And if only we had utterly perished with our brothers before the face of YHWH!

⁴Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?

⁴And why have you brought up the assembly of YHWH into this wilderness to die here—we and our livestock?

⁵Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

⁵And 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, and there is no water to drink.”

⁶Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

⁶And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of YHWH appeared to them.

⁷And the LORD said to Moses,

⁷And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

⁸“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

⁸“Take the rod and gather together the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes; and it will yield its water. And you shall bring for them water from the rock and give drink to the congregation and their livestock.”

⁹So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.

⁹And Moses took the rod from before YHWH, as He had commanded him.

¹⁰Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron gathered together the assembly to the face of the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth for you water from this rock?”

¹¹Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

¹¹And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice. And abundant water came out, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.

¹²But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

¹²And YHWH said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to show My holiness in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

¹³These were the waters of Meribah,^a where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.

¹³Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with YHWH, and He was consecrated among them.

Edom Refuses Passage

¹⁴From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

¹⁴And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that has found us,

¹⁵how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,

¹⁵and how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time. And Egypt afflicted us and our fathers,

¹⁶and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt.

Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

¹⁶and we cried out to YHWH, and He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us up out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

¹⁷Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

¹⁷Let us pass, please, through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink the water of a well. We will go along the Highway of the King; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until that we have passed through your territory.”

¹⁸But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”

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

¹⁹“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”

¹⁹And the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go on the highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, I will give their price. Only nothing more—let me pass through on foot.”

²⁰But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.

²⁰And he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with many men and with a mighty hand.

²¹So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

²¹And Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, and Israel turned away from him.

The Death of Aaron

²²After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.

²²And the sons of Israel, all the congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

²³And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

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

²⁴“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

²⁴“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land that I have given to the sons of Israel, upon that you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.

²⁵Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.

²⁵Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor.

²⁶Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”

²⁶And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered and die there.”

²⁷So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation.

²⁷And Moses did as YHWH had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation.

²⁸After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

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

²⁹When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

²⁹And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, and they mourned for Aaron thirty days—all the house of Israel.