1 Then came the children of Israel, even the
whole congregation, 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 gathered themselves together
against Moses and against Aaron.
3 And
the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when
our brethren died before the LORD!
4 And
why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that
we and our cattle should die there?
5 And
wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this
evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of
vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water 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 spake unto Moses, saying,
8 Take
the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother,
and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his
water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt
give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9 And
Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10 And
Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said
unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11 And
Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the
water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12 And
the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me
in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye 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 And
Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother
Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
15 How
our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and
the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:
16 And
when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath
brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in
Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
17 Let
us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields,
or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the
water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right
hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
18 And
Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee
with the sword.
19 And
the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and
my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any
thing else, go through on my feet.
20 And
he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much
people, and with a strong hand.
21 Thus
Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned
away from him.
22 And
the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from
Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
23 And
the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of
Edom, saying,
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 word at
the water of Meribah.
25 Take
Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
26 And
strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall
be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
27 And
Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight
of all the congregation.
28 And
Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and
Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from
the mount.
29 And
when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron
thirty days, even all
the house of Israel.
