| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard 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. | 1The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and they settled 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. | 2There was no water for the community, so they assembled 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 quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished 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 the LORD's assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to 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 led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It's not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no 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, | 6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. |
| 7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 7The 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.” | 8Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock." |
| 9And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. | 9So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence just as He had 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?” | 10Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses 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, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. |
| 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.” | 12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly 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, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness to 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, "This is what your brother Israel says, 'You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. |
| 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. | 15Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our fathers 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. | 16When we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. |
| 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 travel through your land. We won't travel through any field or vineyard, or drink any well water. We will travel the King's Highway; we won't turn to the right or the left until we have traveled through your territory.'" |
| 18But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” | 18But Edom answered him, "You must not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront 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.” | 19We will go on the main road," the Israelites replied to them, "and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price. There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot." |
| 20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. | 20Yet Edom insisted, "You must not travel through." And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people. |
| 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. | 21Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them. |
| 22And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. | 22After they set out from Kadesh, the entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor. |
| 23And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, | 23The LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom, " |
| 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. | 24Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you both rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. |
| 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. | 25Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up 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 garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and 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 climbed 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. | 28After Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then 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 the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him 30 days. |
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