Numbers 20

1 In March/April [of the next year], the Israeli people traveled/walked to the Zin Desert and (camped/set up their tents) near Kadesh [town]. While they/we were there, [Moses’/my older sister] Miriam died and was buried there.

And the sons of Israel, all the congregation, come [into] the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh; and Miriam dies there and is buried there.

2 There was no water for the people to drink there, so they came to Aaron and Moses/me.

And there has been no water for the congregation, and they are assembled against Moses and against Aaron,

3 They complained and said, “We wish that we had died in front of Yahweh’s Sacred Tent when our fellow Israelis died!

and the people strive with Moses and speak, saying, “And oh that we had expired when our brothers expired before YHWH!

4 (Did you bring us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock?/You brought us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock!) [RHQ]

And why have you brought in the assembly of YHWH to this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts?

5 Why did you bring us from Egypt to this miserable place [RHQ]? There is no grain, there are no figs, no grapes, and no pomegranates here. And there is no water for us to drink!”

And why have you brought us up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? [It is] not a place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and there is no water to drink.”

6 Aaron and Moses/I turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Sacred Tent and prostrated themselves/ourselves on the ground. Then Yahweh appeared to them/us with his bright glory,

And Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly to the opening of the Tent of Meeting and fall on their faces, and the glory of YHWH is seen by them.

7 and he said to Moses/me,

And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

8 “You and Aaron must take Aaron’s walking stick with you and gather all the people together. While the people are watching, command that water will flow out of that [large] rock over there. Water for the people will flow from it; all they and all their livestock will have enough water to drink.”

“Take the rod and assemble the congregation—you and your brother Aaron—and you have spoken to the rock before their eyes, and it has given its water, and you have brought out water to them from the rock, and have watered the congregation and their beasts.”

9 So Moses/I did what Yahweh told him/me to do. He/I took Aaron’s walking stick from the place in the Sacred Tent where it was kept.

And Moses takes the rod from before YHWH as He has commanded him,

10 Then Aaron and he/I summoned all the people to gather at the rock. Then Moses/I shouted to them, “All you rebellious people, listen! Is it necessary for us to give you water from this rock?”

and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly to the front of the rock, and he says to them, “Now hear, O rebels, do we bring out water to you from this rock?”

11 Then Moses/I raised his/my hand and [instead of speaking to the rock], he/I struck the rock two times with the walking stick. And water gushed/poured out. So all the people and their livestock drank all the water that they wanted.

And Moses lifts up his hand and strikes the rock with his rod twice; and much water comes out, and the congregation drinks, and their beasts [drink].

12 But Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me, “You did not believe that I could demonstrate my power to the Israeli people [and give them water without your striking the rock]. So you will not lead them into the land that I am giving to them!”

And YHWH says to Moses and to Aaron, “Because you have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you do not bring in this assembly to the land which I have given to them.”

13 Later this place was called Meribah, [which means ‘arguing’], because there the Israeli people argued with Yahweh, and there he showed his power to them [by giving them water].

These [are] the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have “striven” with YHWH, and He is sanctified among them.

14 [While the people were] at Kadesh [town], Moses/I sent messengers to the king of Edom to tell him this: “Your relatives, the Israeli people, are sending you this message. You know the many troubles/hardships that have happened to us.

And Moses sends messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “Thus said your brother Israel: You have known all the travail which has found us,

15 You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt. You know that they stayed there for many years. They suffered because the [rulers of] Egypt caused them to become their slaves [and to work very hard].

that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt [for] many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers;

16 “But when they called out to Yahweh, he heard them and sent an angel who brought them out of Egypt. Now we have set up our tents here at Kadesh, a town at the border of your land.

then we cry to YHWH, and He hears our voice, and sends a Messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city [in] the extremity of your border.

17 Please allow us to travel through your country. We will [be careful to] not walk through your fields and your vineyards. We will not even drink water from your wells. As we travel, we will stay on the king’s highway, [the main road that goes from the south to the north], and we will not leave that road until we have crossed the border [of your country in the north].”

Please let us pass over through your land; we do not pass over through a field or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; we go the way of the king, we do not turn aside [to] the right or left until we pass over your border.”

18 But the king of Edom refused. He replied, “Stay out of my country! If you try [to enter it], I will [send my army to] attack you!”

And Edom says to him, “You do not pass over through me, lest I come out to meet you with the sword.”

19 The Israeli messengers replied, “[If we travel through your country], we will stay on the main road. If we and any of our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We want only to travel through your country. We do not want anything else.”

And the sons of Israel say to him, “We go in the highway, and if we drink of your waters—I and my livestock—then I have given their price; only, let me pass over on my feet, nothing [more].”

20 But the king replied, “No! Stay out of our country! We will not [allow you] to travel through our land!” Then he sent the strongest soldiers in his army to prevent the Israelis [from entering his country].

And he says, “You do not pass over”; and Edom comes out to meet him with many people and with a strong hand;

21 So, because [the king of] Edom refused to allow the Israelis to travel through his country, the Israelis turned [and traveled a different way].

and Edom refuses to permit Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turns aside from off him.

22 The Israeli people left Kadesh. They went to Hor Mountain,

And the sons of Israel, all the congregation, journey from Kadesh and come to Mount Hor,

23 [which is at the border of Edom]. While they were there, Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,

and YHWH speaks to Moses and to Aaron in Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,

24 “It is time for Aaron to die [EUP]. He will not enter the land that I am giving to you Israelis, because the two of you disobeyed me [when I told you to speak to the rock to cause] the water [to flow] at Meribah.

“Aaron is gathered to his people, for he does not go into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that you provoked My mouth at the waters of Meribah.

25 Now you, Moses, take Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Hor Mountain.

Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and cause them to go up Mount Hor,

26 There you must remove Aaron’s robes [that he wears when he does the work of a priest], and put them on his son, Eleazar. Aaron will die up there.”

and strip Aaron of his garments, and you have clothed his son Eleazar [with] them, and Aaron is gathered, and dies there.”

27 So Moses/I did what Yahweh commanded. The three of them/us climbed up Hor Mountain, while all the Israeli people watched.

And Moses does as YHWH has commanded, and they go up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the congregation,

28 At the top of the mountain, Moses/I took off the robes that Aaron wore [while he did the work of a priest] and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Eleazar and Moses/I went back down.

and Moses strips Aaron of his garments, and clothes his son Eleazar with them, and Aaron dies there on the top of the mountain; and Moses comes down—Eleazar also—from the mountain,

29 When the Israeli people realized that Aaron had died, they all mourned for him for 30 days.

and all the congregation sees that Aaron has expired, and all the house of Israel laments Aaron [for] thirty days.