Numbers 20

Revised Geneva Translation

20 Then the children of Israel came with the whole Congregation to the desert of Zin in the first month. And the people stayed at Kadesh, where Miriam died and was buried.

² But there was no water for the Congregation; and they assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron.

³ And the people argued with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had perished when our brothers died before the LORD!

⁴ “Why have you brought the Congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, so that we and our cattle should die here?

⁵ “Why now have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us into this miserable place, which is no place of seed or figs or vines or pomegranates? Nor is there any water to drink.”

⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and fell upon their faces. And the Glory of the LORD appeared to them.

⁷ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

⁸ “Take the branch, and you and your brother Aaron gather the Congregation together. And speak to the rock before their eyes. And it shall give forth its water. And you shall bring them water out of the rock. So you shall give the Congregation and the beasts drink.”

⁹ Then Moses took the branch from before the LORD, as He had Commanded him.

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron gathered the Congregation before the rock and said to them, “Hear now you rebels! Shall we bring you water out of this rock?”

¹¹ Then Moses lifted up his hand; and with his rod, he struck the rock twice. And the water came out, abundantly. So the Congregation, and their beasts, drank.

¹² Again, the LORD said to Moses, and to Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me (to sanctify Me in the presence of 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 Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with the LORD. And He was sanctified in them.

¹⁴ Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, “Thus says your brother, Israel, ‘You know all the trouble that we have had:

¹⁵ “how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, where the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

¹⁶ “But when we cried to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent an angel, and has brought us out of Egypt. And behold, we are in the city, Kadesh, in your utmost border.

¹⁷ “Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through the fields or the vineyards, nor will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go by the King’s Way and turn neither to the right hand nor to the left, until we are past your borders.’”

¹⁸ And Edom answered him, “You shall not pass by me, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

¹⁹ Then the children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway. And if I or my cattle drink from your water, then I will pay for it. I will only go through on foot, nothing else.”

²⁰ He answered again, “You shall not go through.” Then Edom came out against him with many people, and with a mighty power.

²¹ Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his country. Therefore, Israel turned away from him.

²² And when the children of Israel, with all the Congregation, departed from Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor.

²³ And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron on Mount Hor, near the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

²⁴ “Aaron shall be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel because you disobeyed My Commandment at the Water of Meribah.

²⁵ “Take Aaron, and Eleazar his son, and bring them up onto Mount Hor,

²⁶ “and cause Aaron to take off his garments, and put them upon Eleazar, his son. For Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there.”

²⁷ “And Moses did as the LORD had commanded. And they went up onto Mount Hor, in the sight of all the Congregation.

²⁸ And Moses took off Aaron’s clothes and put them upon Eleazar, his son. So Aaron died there, on top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from off the mountain.

²⁹ When all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the House of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.