1 Os filhos de Israel, a congregação toda, vieram ao deserto de Zim no primeiro mês. Ficou o povo em Cades; ali morreu Miriã, e ali foi sepultada.2 Não havia água para a congregação; e ajuntaram-se contra Moisés e contra Arão.3 O povo contendeu com Moisés, dizendo: Oxalá que tivéssemos perecido, quando pereceram os nossos irmãos diante de Jeová!4 Por que introduzistes a assembléia de Jeová neste deserto, para aí morrermos, assim nós, como os nossos animais?5 Por que nos fizestes subir do Egito, para nos introduzir neste mau lugar? não é lugar de semente, nem de figos, nem de vides, nem de romãs; nem tampouco há água para beber.6 Retirando-se Moisés e Arão da presença da assembléia para a entrada da tenda da revelação, prostraram-se com o rosto em terra; e a glória de Jeová lhes apareceu.7 Disse Jeová a Moisés:8 Toma a vara, e ajunta a congregação, tu, e Arão teu irmão, e falai à rocha diante deles, que dê as suas águas. Far-lhes-ás sair água da rocha: assim darás de beber à congregação e aos seus animais.9 Então tomou Moisés a vara de diante de Jeová, como lhe ordenou.10 Moisés e Arão reuniram a assembléia diante da rocha, e Moisés disse-lhes: Ouvi, pois, rebeldes; havemos de fazer sair água desta rocha para vós?11 Moisés levantou a mão, e feriu a rocha duas vezes com a sua vara; saíram águas copiosamente, e bebeu a congregação, e os seus animais.12 Disse Jeová a Moisés e a Arão: Porque não crêstes em mim, para me santificardes aos olhos dos filhos de Israel, portanto não introduzireis esta assembléia na terra que lhes dei.13 Estas são as águas de Meribá, porque os filhos de Israel contenderam com Jeová, e neles foi santificado.14 Moisés enviou de Cades embaixadores ao rei de Edom a dizer-lhe: Assim diz teu irmão Israel: tu bem sabes todo o trabalho que nos tem sobrevindo:15 como nossos pais desceram ao Egito, e habitamos ali muito tempo. Os egípcios nos maltrataram a nós e a nossos pais.16 e, quando clamamos a Jeová, ele nos ouviu, enviou um anjo que nos tirou do Egito; eis que estamos em Cades, cidade na extremidade do teu território.17 Deixa-nos passar pela tua terra: não passaremos pelos campos, nem pelas vinhas, nem beberemos a água dos poços; iremos pela estrada real, não nos desviaremos para a direita nem para a esquerda, até que tenhamos passado além do teu território.18 Respondeu-lhe Edom: Não passarás por mim, não suceda sair eu ao teu encontro com a espada.19 Replicaram-lhe os filhos de Israel: Subiremos pela estrada real; se bebermos as tuas águas, eu e os meus animais, darei o preço delas; não desejo outra coisa senão passar a pé.20 Respondeu ele: Não passarás. Saiu-lhe Edom ao encontro com muita gente e com mão forte.21 Assim recusou Edom deixar passar Israel pelo seu território; pelo que Israel se desviou dele.22 Então partiram de Cades; e os filhos de Israel, a congregação toda, foram ao monte Hor.23 Disse Jeová a Moisés e a Arão no monte Hor, nos confins da terra de Edom:24 Arão será recolhido ao seu povo; pois não entrará na terra que dei aos filhos de Israel, porque fostes rebeldes contra a minha ordem às águas de Meribá.25 Toma a Arão e a Eleazar, seu filho, e faze-os subir o monte Hor;26 depois de despir dos seus vestidos a Arão, veste-os a Eleazar, seu filho: Arão será recolhido ao seu povo, e morrerá ali.27 Fez Moisés como Jeová ordenou; e subiram ao monte Hor à vista da congregação toda.28 Moisés despiu a Arão dos vestidos, e vestiu com eles a Eleazar, o filho; Arão morreu ali no cume do monte, e Moisés e Eleazar desceram do monte.29 Vendo toda a congregação que Arão era morto, chorou toda a casa de Israel a Arão por trinta dias.

1 And the children of Israel, and all the multitude came into the desert of Sin, in the first month: and the people abode in Cades. And Mary died there, and was buried in the same place.2 And the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron:3 And making a sedition, they said: Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.4 Why have you brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both we and our cattle should die?5 Why have you made us come up out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink?6 And Moses and Aaron leaving the multitude, went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and fell flat upon the ground, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur. And the glory of the Lord appeared over them.7 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:8 Take the rod, and assemble the people together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall drink.9 Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded him,10 And having gathered together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we bring you forth water out of this rock?11 And when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rook twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank,12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give them.13 This is the Water of contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.14 In the mean time Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, to say: Thus saith thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the labour that hath come upon us:15 In what manner our fathers went down into Egypt, and there we dwelt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.16 And how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt. Lo, we are now in the city of Cades, which is in the uttermost of thy borders,17 And we beseech thee that we may have leave to pass through thy country. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, we will not drink the waters of thy wells, but we will go by the common highway, neither turning aside to the right hand, nor to the left, till we are past thy borders.18 And Edom answered them: Thou shalt not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.19 And the children of Israel said: We will go by the beaten way: and if we and our cattle drink of thy waters, we will give thee what is just: there shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us pass speedily.20 But he answered: Thou shalt not pass. And immediately he came forth to meet them with an infinite multitude, and a strong hand,21 Neither would he condescend to their desire to grant them passage through his borders. Wherefore Israel turned another way from him.22 And when they had removed the camp from Cades, they came to mount Her, which is in the borders of the land of Edom:23 Where the Lord spoke to Moses:24 Let Aaron, saith he, go to his people: for he shall not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because he was incredulous to my words, at the waters of contradiction.25 Take Aaron and his son with him, and bring them up into mount Hor:26 And when thou hast stripped the father of his vesture, thou shalt vest therewith Eleazar his son: Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and die there.27 Moses did as the Lord had commanded: and they went up into mount Hor before all the multitude.28 And when he had stripped Aaron of his vestments, he vested Eleazar his son with them.29 And Aaron being dead in the top of the mountain, he came down with Eleazar.30 And all the multitude seeing that Aaron was dead, mourned for him thirty days throughout all their families.