Numbers 20:1-13

New King James Version

Moses’ Error at Kadesh^(A)

20 Then^(B) the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in ^(C)Kadesh; and ^(D)Miriam died there and was buried there.

^2 (E)Now there was no water for the congregation; ^(F)so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. ³ And the people ^(G)contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died ^(H)when our brethren died before the Lord! ^4 (I)Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? ⁵ And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” ⁶ So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and ^(J)they ^[a]fell on their faces. And ^(K)the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ^8 (L)“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus ^(M)you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” ⁹ So Moses took the rod ^(N)from before the Lord as He commanded him.

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, ^(O)“Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; ^(P)and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

¹² Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because ^(Q)you did not believe Me, to ^(R)hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

^13 (S)This was the water of ^[b]Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them.