Números 20

¹ And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

² And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

³ And the people quarreled with Moses, and said thus, Oh that we had but perished when our brethren perished before the Lord!

⁴ And why have ye brought the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle!

⁵ And wherefore have ye caused us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place for sowing, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; and water even there is none to drink.

⁶ And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

⁷ And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁸ Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, with Aaron thy brother, and ye shall speak unto the rock before their eyes, that it shall give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.

⁹ And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he had commanded him.

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels! shall we out of this rock bring forth water for you?

¹¹ And Moses lifted up his hand, and he smote the rock with his staff twice: and there came out much water, and the congregation drank, together with their cattle.

¹² And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not confided in me, to sanctify me before the eyes of the children of Israel: therefore shall ye not bring this congregation into the land which I have given to them.

¹³ These are the waters of Meribah; where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through which he was sanctified.

¹⁴ And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus hath said thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the hardship that hath befallen us.

¹⁵ How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt many days; and the Egyptians did evil to us, and to our fathers:

¹⁶ And we cried unto the Lord, and he heard our voice, and he sent a messenger, and caused us to go forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the outmost end of thy border.

¹⁷ Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy country; we will not pass through field, or through vineyard, and we will not drink the water of the wells: by the king’s highway will we go, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.

¹⁸ And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through my land, lest I come against thee with the sword.

¹⁹ And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the highway: and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I pay its value; I will do thee no injury, only on foot will I pass through.

²⁰ And he said, Thou shalt not pass through; and Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

²¹ And as Edom thus refused to permit Israel to pass through his border, Israel turned away from him.

²² And they set forward from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

²³ And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron at mount Hor, by the boundary of the land of Edom, as followeth,

²⁴ Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my order at the waters of Meribah.

²⁵ Take Aaron and Elazar, his son, and cause them to go up unto mount Hor:

²⁶ And cause Aaron to take off his garments, and clothe therewith Elazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered in, and he shall die there.

²⁷ And Moses did as the Lord had commanded; and they went up to mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation.

²⁸ And Moses caused Aaron to take off his garments, and he clothed therewith Elazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount; and Moses and Elazar then came down from the mount.

²⁹ And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was departed, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.