New King James Version

English Standard Version

1Then the children 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.

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.

2Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

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

3And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

3And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!

4Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?

4Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?

5And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”

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.”

6So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they 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 entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them,

7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

8“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”

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.”

9So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him.

9And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

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

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?”

11Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

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.

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

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.”

13This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them.

13These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.

14Now Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. “Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met:

15how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

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.

16When we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

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.

17Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; 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 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.”

18Then Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

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

19So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”

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.”

20Then he said, “You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.

20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force.

21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

22Now the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

22And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

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

23And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom,

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

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.

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

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

26and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.”

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.”

27So Moses did just as the LORD commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

27Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28Moses 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 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.

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

29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.