Numbers 20-21

New International Version

Water From the Rock

20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin,^(A) and they stayed at Kadesh.^(B) There Miriam^(C) died and was buried.

² Now there was no water^(D) for the community,^(E) and the people gathered in opposition^(F) to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled^(G) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead^(H) before the Lord!^{(I) 4} Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,^(J) that we and our livestock should die here?^{(K) 5} Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.^(L) And there is no water to drink!^(M)”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting^(N) and fell facedown,^(O) and the glory of the Lord^(P) appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff,^(Q) and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.^(R) You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff^(S) from the Lord’s presence,^(T) just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together^(U) in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”^{(V) 11} Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water^(W) gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy^(X) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”^(Y)

¹³ These were the waters of Meribah,^[a](Z) where the Israelites quarreled^(AA) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.^(AB)

Edom Denies Israel Passage

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh^(AC) to the king of Edom,^(AD) saying:

¹⁸ But Edom^(AO) answered:

¹⁹ The Israelites replied:

²⁰ Again they answered:

Then Edom^(AT) came out against them with a large and powerful army. ²¹ Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory,^(AU) Israel turned away from them.^(AV)

The Death of Aaron

²² The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh^(AW) and came to Mount Hor.^{(AX) 23} At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom,^(AY) the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people.^(AZ) He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command^(BA) at the waters of Meribah.^{(BB) 25} Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.^{(BC) 26} Remove Aaron’s garments^(BD) and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people;^(BE) he will die there.”

²⁷ Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor^(BF) in the sight of the whole community. ²⁸ Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar.^(BG) And Aaron died there^(BH) on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, ²⁹ and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died,^(BI) all the Israelites mourned for him^(BJ) thirty days.

Arad Destroyed

21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,^(BK) who lived in the Negev,^(BL) heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. ² Then Israel made this vow^(BM) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy^[b](BN) their cities.” ³ The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites^(BO) over to them. They completely destroyed them^(BP) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.^[c](BQ)

The Bronze Snake

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor^(BR) along the route to the Red Sea,^[d](BS) to go around Edom.^(BT) But the people grew impatient on the way;^{(BU) 5} they spoke against God^(BV) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt^(BW) to die in the wilderness?^(BX) There is no bread! There is no water!^(BY) And we detest this miserable food!”^(BZ)

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^(CA) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^{(CB) 7} The people came to Moses^(CC) and said, “We sinned^(CD) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord^(CE) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed^(CF) for the people.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;^(CG) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake^(CH) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.^(CI)

The Journey to Moab

¹⁰ The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.^{(CJ) 11} Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab^(CK) toward the sunrise. ¹² From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.^{(CL) 13} They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon^(CM), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.^{(CN) 14} That is why the Book of the Wars^(CO) of the Lord says:

¹⁶ From there they continued on to Beer,^(CQ) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”

¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song:^(CR)

Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, ¹⁹ from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah^(CS) overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

²¹ Israel sent messengers^(CT) to say to Sihon^(CU) king of the Amorites:^(CV)

²³ But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.^(CX) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,^(CY) he fought with Israel.^{(CZ) 24} Israel, however, put him to the sword^(DA) and took over his land^(DB) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,^(DC) but only as far as the Ammonites,^(DD) because their border was fortified. ²⁵ Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites^(DE) and occupied them,^(DF) including Heshbon^(DG) and all its surrounding settlements. ²⁶ Heshbon was the city of Sihon^(DH) king of the Amorites,^(DI) who had fought against the former king of Moab^(DJ) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.^(DK)

²⁷ That is why the poets say:

³¹ So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.^(DV)

³² After Moses had sent spies^(DW) to Jazer,^(DX) the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. ³³ Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan^(DY),^(DZ) and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.^(EA)

³⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.^(EB)”

³⁵ So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.^(EC) And they took possession of his land.^(ED)