Num 20
1
And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness
of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there,
and was buried there.
2
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together
against Moses and Aaron.
3
And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our
brethren before the Lord!
4
And wherefore have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness,
to kill us and our cattle?
5
And wherefore is this? You have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into
this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates,
neither is there water to drink.
6
And Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of
witness, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
8
Take your rod, and call the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak you to
the rock before them, and it shall give forth its waters; and you shall bring forth
for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.
9
And Moses took his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.
10
And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and said to them,
Hear me, you disobedient ones; must we bring you water out of this rock?
11
And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and much water
came forth, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.
12
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you have not believed me to sanctify
me before the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation
into the land which I have given them.
13
This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before
the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
14
And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your brother
Israel; You know all the distress that has Gr. found us come upon us.
15
And how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt many days, and
the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.
16
And we cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought
us out of Egypt; and now we are in the city of Cades, at the extremity of your coasts.
17
We will pass through your land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the
vineyards, nor will we drink water out of your cistern: we will go by the king’s highway;
we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed your
borders.
18
And Edom said to him, You shall not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth
to meet you in war.
19
And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and
my cattle drink of your water, I will pay you: but it is no matter of importance,
we will go by the mountain.
20
And he said, You shall not pass through me; and Edom went forth to meet him with a
great host, and a mighty hand.
21
So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Israel turned away
from him.
22
And they departed from Cades; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation,
came to Mount Or.
23
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Or, on the borders of the land of Edom,
saying,
24
Let Aaron be added to his people; for you shall certainly not go into the land which
I have given the children of Israel, because you provoked me at the water of strife.
25
Take Aaron, and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to the mount Or before all the
congregation;
26
and take Aaron’s apparel from off him, and put it on Eleazar his son: and let Aaron
die there and be added to his people.
27
And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and took him up to mount Or, before all the
congregation.
28
And he took Aaron’s garments off him, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died
on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29
And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead: and they wept for Aaron thirty days,
even all the house of Israel.