Numbers 20

In the first month, the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled against Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our livestock to die here? Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is no place for sowing, or for figs, vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. The glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give its water. You shall bring water out of the rock for them and give the congregation and their livestock water to drink.” Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he had commanded him. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock, and he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to uphold my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, you shall not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and he was shown holy among them. Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that has befallen us. Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt for many days. The Egyptians treated us and our ancestors harshly. We cried out to the LORD, and he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now we are at Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through a field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway, turning neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory.” But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my territory, or I will come out against you with the sword.” The Israelites said to him, “We will go up by the highway. If I and my livestock drink your water, I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with many people and a strong hand. So Edom refused to let Israel pass through his territory, and Israel turned away from him. They set out from Kadesh, and the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, “Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. Strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” Moses did as the LORD commanded, and they went up Mount Hor before the eyes of the whole congregation. Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the whole house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

Rights and attribution