Numbers
20
- In the first month the whole Israelite community
arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died
and was buried.
- Now there was no water for the community,
and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.
- They quarreled with Moses and said, "If
only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD !
- Why did you bring the LORD'S community into
this desert, that we and our livestock should die here ?
- Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to
this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.
And there is no water to drink !"
- Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to
the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the
LORD appeared to them.
- The LORD said to Moses,
- "Take the staff, and you and your brother
Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and
it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community
so they and their livestock can drink."
- So Moses took the staff from the LORD'S
presence, just as he commanded him.
- He and Aaron gathered the assembly together
in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must
we bring you water out of this rock ?"
- Then Moses raised his arm and struck the
rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock
drank.
- But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because
you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites,
you will not bring this community into the land I give them."
- These were the waters of Meribah, where
the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among
them.
- Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the
king of Edom, saying: "This is what your brother Israel says: You know
about all the hardships that have come upon us.
- Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and
we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,
- but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard
our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here
at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
- Please let us pass through your country.
We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well.
We will travel along the king's highway and not turn to the right or to the
left until we have passed through your territory."
- But Edom answered: "You may not pass
through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword."
- The Israelites replied: "We will go
along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we
will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot -- nothing else."
- Again they answered: "You may not pass
through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.
- Since Edom refused to let them go through
their territory, Israel turned away from them.
- The whole Israelite community set out from
Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.
- At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the
LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
- "Aaron will be gathered to his people.
He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled
against my command at the waters of Meribah.
- Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them
up Mount Hor.
- Remove Aaron's garments and put them on
his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there."
- Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went
up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.
- Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them
on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses
and Eleazar came down from the mountain,
- and when the whole community learned that
Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
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