1 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.2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.3 They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!4 Why did you bring the LORD's community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?5 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!"6 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.7 The LORD said to Moses,8 "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."9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him.10 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?"11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.12 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."13 These were the waters of Meribah, "where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he was proved holy among them.14 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 on us.15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors,16 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.17 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."18 But Edom answered: "You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword."19 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."20 Again they answered: "You may not pass through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,24 "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.25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.26 Remove Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there."27 Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.28 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,29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

1 Veneruntque filii Isral et omnis multitudo in desertum Sin, mense primo, et mansit populus in Cades. Mortuaque est ibi Maria, et sepulta in eodem loco. 2 Cumque indigeret aqua populus, convenerunt adversum Moysen et Aaron : 3 et versi in seditionem, dixerunt : Utinam periissemus inter fratres nostros coram Domino. 4 Cur eduxistis ecclesiam Domini in solitudinem, ut et nos et nostra jumenta moriamur ? 5 quare nos fecistis ascendere de gypto, 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 ? 6 Ingressusque Moyses et Aaron, dimissa multitudine, tabernaculum fderis, corruerunt proni in terram, clamaveruntque ad Dominum, atque dixerunt : Domine Deus, audi clamorem hujus populi, et aperi eis thesaurum tuum fontem aqu viv, ut satiati, cesset murmuratio eorum. Et apparuit gloria Domini super eos.7 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens : 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 jumenta ejus. 9 Tulit igitur Moyses virgam, qu erat in conspectu Domini, sicut prceperat ei, 10 congregata multitudine ante petram : dixitque eis : Audite, rebelles et increduli : num de petra hac vobis aquam poterimus ejicere ? 11 Cumque elevasset Moyses manum, percutiens virga bis silicem, egress sunt aqu largissim, ita ut populus biberet et jumenta. 12 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron : Quia non credidistis mihi, ut sanctificaretis me coram filiis Isral, non introducetis hos populos in terram, quam dabo eis. 13 Hc est aqua contradictionis, ubi jurgati sunt filii Isral contra Dominum, et sanctificatus est in eis.14 Misit interea nuntios Moyses de Cades ad regem Edom, qui dicerent : Hc mandat frater tuus Isral : Nosti omnem laborem qui apprehendit nos, 15 quomodo descenderint patres nostri in gyptum, et habitaverimus ibi multo tempore, afflixerintque nos gyptii, et patres nostros : 16 et quomodo clamaverimus ad Dominum, et exaudierit nos, miseritque angelum, qui eduxerit nos de gypto. Ecce in urbe Cades, qu est in extremis finibus tuis, positi, 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. 18 Cui respondit Edom : Non transibis per me, alioquin armatus occurram tibi. 19 Dixeruntque filii Isral : Per tritam gradiemur viam : et si biberimus aquas tuas, nos et pecora nostra, dabimus quod justum est : nulla erit in pretio difficultas, tantum velociter transeamus. 20 At ille respondit : Non transibis. Statimque egressus est obvius, cum infinita multitudo, et manu forti, 21 nec voluit acquiescere deprecanti, ut concederet transitum per fines suos. Quam ob rem divertit ab eo Isral.22 Cumque castra movissent de Cades, venerunt in montem Hor, qui est in finibus terr Edom : 23 ubi locutus est Dominus ad Moysen : 24 Pergat, inquit, Aaron ad populos suos : non enim intrabit terram, quam dedi filiis Isral, eo quod incredulus fuerit ori meo, ad aquas contradictionis. 25 Tolle Aaron et filium ejus cum eo, et duces eos in montem Hor. 26 Cumque nudaveris patrem veste sua, indues ea Eleazarum filium ejus : Aaron colligetur, et morietur ibi. 27 Fecit Moyses ut prceperat Dominus : et ascenderunt in montem Hor coram omni multitudine. 28 Cumque Aaron spoliasset vestibus suis, induit eis Eleazarum filium ejus. 29 Illo mortuo in montis supercilio, descendit cum Eleazaro. 30 Omnis autem multitudo videns occubuisse Aaron, flevit super eo triginta diebus per cunctas familias suas.