1 And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 And there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
3 And the people strove with Moses and spoke, saying: If only we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!
4 Why have you brought up the assembly of Jehovah into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die here?
5 And why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of sowing or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.
6 And 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 Jehovah appeared to them.
7 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
8 Take the staff; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it shall produce water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.
9 And Moses took the staff from before Jehovah as He had commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water for you out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their cattle drank.
12 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe 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 to them.
13 These were the waters of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with Jehovah, and He was sanctified among them.
14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,
15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians did evil to us and our fathers.
16 And when we cried out unto Jehovah, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.
17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the Kings Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.
18 And Edom said to him, You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.
19 And the children of Israel said to him, We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, without a word.
20 And he said, You shall not pass through. And Edom came out against them with many people and with a strong hand.
21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.
22 And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.
23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying:
24 Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My mouth at the waters of Meribah.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;
26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.
27 And Moses did as Jehovah commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation.
28 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.
29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.