Then the sons of Israel
, the whole
congregation
, came
to the awilderness
of Zin
in the first
month
; and the people
stayed
at Kadesh
. Now Miriam
died
there
and was buried
there
.
aThere was no water
for the congregation
, band they assembled
themselves against
Moses
and Aaron
.
aThe people thus contended
with Moses
and spoke
, saying
, " bIf
only
we had perished
cwhen our brothers
perished
before
the LORD
!
" aWhy then have you brought
the LORD'S
assembly
into this
wilderness
, for us and our beasts
to die
1here
?
"Why have you made us come
up from Egypt
, to bring
us in to this
wretched
place
? aIt is not a place
of 1grain
or figs
or vines
or pomegranates
, nor
is there
water
to drink
."
Then Moses and Aaron
came
in from the presence
of the assembly
to the doorway
of the tent
of meeting
and afell
on their faces
. Then the glory
of the LORD
appeared
to them;
and the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
"Take athe rod
; and you and your brother
Aaron
assemble
the congregation
and speak
to the rock
before their eyes
, that it may yield
its water
. You shall thus bring
forth
water
for them out of the rock
and let the congregation
and their beasts
drink
."
So Moses took
the rod
afrom before
the LORD
, just
as He had commanded
him;
and Moses and Aaron
gathered
the assembly
before
the rock
. And he said
to them, " aListen
now
, you rebels
; shall we bring
forth
water
for you out of this
rock
?"
Then Moses lifted
up his hand
and struck
the rock
twice
with his rod
; and awater
came
forth
abundantly
, and the congregation
and their beasts
drank
.
But the LORD said
to Moses
and Aaron
, " aBecause
you have not believed
Me, to treat
Me as holy
in the sight
of the sons
of Israel
, therefore
you shall not bring
this
assembly
into the land
which
I have given
them."
Those were the waters
of 1 aMeribah
, 2because
the sons
of Israel
contended
with the LORD
, and He proved
Himself holy
among them.
From Kadesh Moses
then sent
messengers
to athe king
of Edom
: "Thus
your brother
Israel
has said
, `You bknow
all
the hardship
that has befallen
us;
that our fathers went
down
to Egypt
, and we stayed
in Egypt
a long
time
, and the Egyptians
treated
us and our fathers
badly
.
`But awhen we cried out to the LORD
, He heard
our voice
and sent
ban angel
and brought
us out from Egypt
; now behold
, we are at Kadesh
, a town
on the edge
of your territory
.
`Please alet us pass
through your land
. We will not pass
through
field
or through vineyard
; we will not even drink
water
from a well
. We will go
along the king's
highway
, not turning
to the right
or left
, until
we pass
through
your territory
.' "
aEdom, however, said
to him, "You shall not pass
through
1us, or
I will come
out with the sword
against
you."
Again, the sons of Israel
said
to him, "We will go
up by the highway
, and if
I and amy livestock
do drink
any of your water
, bthen I will 1pay
its price
. Let me only
pass
through
on my feet
, 2nothing
else."
But he said, " aYou shall not pass
through
." And Edom
came
out against
him with a heavy
1force
and with a strong
hand
.
aThus Edom refused
to allow
Israel
to pass
through
his territory
; bso Israel
turned
away
from him.
Now when they set out from aKadesh
, the sons
of Israel
, the whole
congregation
, came
to Mount
Hor
.
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
and Aaron
at aMount
Hor
by the border
of the land
of Edom
, saying
,
"Aaron will be agathered
to his people
; for he shall not enter
the land
which
I have given
to the sons
of Israel
, because
byou rebelled
against
My 1command
at the waters
of Meribah
.
"Take Aaron
and his son
aEleazar
and bring
them up to Mount
Hor
;
and strip Aaron
of his garments
and put
them on his son
Eleazar
. So Aaron
will be agathered
to his people, and will die
there
."
So Moses did
just
as the LORD
had commanded
, and they went
up to Mount
Hor
in the sight
of all
the congregation
.
After Moses had stripped
Aaron
of his garments
and aput
them on his son
Eleazar
, bAaron
died
there
on the mountain
top
. Then Moses
and Eleazar
came
down
from the mountain
.
When all the congregation
saw
that Aaron
had died
, all
the house
of Israel
wept
for Aaron
thirty
adays
.