And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the
wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in
Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.
Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people
quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our
brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the
assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here,
both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of
Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or
figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”
Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the
entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the
glory of the LORD appeared to them, and the LORD spoke to Moses,
saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and
Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield
its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and
give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took
the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the
rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring
water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and
struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out
abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And
the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in
me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel,
therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I
have given them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the people
of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed
himself holy.
Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says
your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met:
how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long
time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. And
when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and
brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the
edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We
will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a
well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside
to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your
territory.” But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest
I come out with the sword against you.” And the people of Israel
said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your
water, I and my livestock, then 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 them with a large army and with
a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through
his territory, so Israel turned away from him.
And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the
whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. And the LORD said to Moses
and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, “Let
Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land
that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled
against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar
his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. And strip Aaron of his
garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be
gathered to his people and shall die there.” Moses did as the LORD
commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the
congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them
on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the
mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. And
when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the
house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
