| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1And 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. | 1Then the entire community of Israel entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there. |
| 2Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. | 2And there was no water for the community, and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. |
| 3And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! | 3The people contended with Moses, saying, "If only we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! |
| 4Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? | 4Why have you brought up the LORD's community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here? |
| 5And 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.” | 5Why have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to this dreadful place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink!" |
| 6Then 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, | 6So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They then threw themselves down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. |
| 7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 7Then the LORD spoke to Moses: |
| 8“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.” | 8"Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aaron your brother, and then speak to the rock before their eyes. It will pour forth its water, and you will bring water out of the rock for them, and so you will give the community and their beasts water to drink." |
| 9And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. | 9So Moses took the staff from before the LORD, just as he commanded him. |
| 10Then 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?” | 10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?" |
| 11And 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. | 11Then Moses raised his hand, and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too. |
| 12And 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.” | 12Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites, therefore you will not bring this community into the land I have given them." |
| 13These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy. | 13These are the waters of Meribah, because the Israelites contended with the LORD, and his holiness was maintained among them. |
| 14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: | 14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "Thus says your brother Israel: 'You know all the hardships we have experienced, |
| 15how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. | 15how our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. |
| 16And 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. | 16So when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent a messenger, and has brought us up out of Egypt. Now we are here in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your country. |
| 17Please 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.” | 17Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well. We will go by the King's Highway; we will not turn to the right or the left until we have passed through your region.'" |
| 18But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” | 18But Edom said to him, "You will not pass through me, or I will come out against you with the sword." |
| 19And 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.” | 19Then the Israelites said to him, "We will go along the highway, and if we or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We will only pass through on our feet, without doing anything else." |
| 20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. | 20But he said, "You may not pass through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful force. |
| 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. | 21So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; therefore Israel turned away from him. |
| 22And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. | 22So the entire company of Israelites traveled from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. |
| 23And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, | 23And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom. He said: |
| 24“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. | 24"Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors, for he will not enter into the land I have given to the Israelites because both of you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. |
| 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. | 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up on Mount Hor. |
| 26And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.” | 26Remove Aaron's priestly garments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors and will die there." |
| 27Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. | 27So Moses did as the LORD commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. |
| 28And 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. | 28And Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. |
| 29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. | 29When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the whole house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days. |
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