Numbers 20

1. Then the children of Israel came, the whole congregation, into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. And the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.

2. And there was no water for the congregation. And they gathered themselves against Moses and against Aaron.

3. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “Oh that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

4. And why have you brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, so that we and our livestock should die there?

5. And why have you made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? It is not a place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates. And there is no water to drink.”

6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

7. And the LORD spoke to Moses saying,

8. “Take the rod, and gather the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes. And it shall give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock. So you shall give the congregation and their animals water to drink.”

9. And Moses took the rod from before the presence of the LORD as He commanded him.

10. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels. Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”

11. And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he struck the rock twice. And the water came out plentifully, and the congregation and their animals drank.

12. And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

13. These are the Waters of Strife because the children of Israel contended against the LORD, but He showed Himself holy among them.”

14. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “Thus says your brother Israel, ‘You know all the trouble that has happened to us,

15. How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers.

16. And when we cried to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent an Angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt. And behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your border.

17. Let us pass, I pray you, through your country. We will not pass through a field, nor through a vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of a well. We will go by the king’s highway. We will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed your borders.’ ”

18. And Edom said to him, “You shall not pass by me, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

19. And the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the highway. And if I and my livestock drink of your water, then I will pay for it. Without doing anything, I will only go through on my feet.”

20. And he said, “You shall not go through.” And Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

21. So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border. Therefore Israel turned away from him.

22. And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

23. And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

24. “Aaron shall be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the Waters of Strife.

25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor.

26. And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to 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 mountain.

29. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, all the house of Israel.