| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried. | 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. |
| 2There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. | 2And there was no water for the community, and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. |
| 3The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the LORD’s presence with our brothers! | 3The people contended with Moses, saying, "If only we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! |
| 4Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? | 4Why have you brought up the LORD's community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here? |
| 5Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and 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!" |
| 6Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence 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 said to Moses, | 7Then the LORD spoke to Moses: |
| 8“You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” | 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." |
| 9So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the LORD. | 9So Moses took the staff from before the LORD, just as he commanded him. |
| 10Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from 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?" |
| 11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. | 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. |
| 12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving 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." |
| 13This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the LORD, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them. Edom Refuses Israel Passage | 13These are the waters of Meribah, because the Israelites contended with the LORD, and his holiness was maintained among them. |
| 14While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent ambassadors to the king of Edom with this message: “This is what your relatives, the people of Israel, say: You know all the hardships we have been through. | 14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "Thus says your brother Israel: 'You know all the hardships we have experienced, |
| 15Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians. | 15how our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. |
| 16But when we cried out to the LORD, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us out of Egypt. Now we are camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land. | 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 travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road and never leave it 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 the king of Edom said, “Stay out of my land, or I will meet you with an army!” | 18But Edom said to him, "You will not pass through me, or I will come out against you with the sword." |
| 19The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.” | 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 the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. | 20But he said, "You may not pass through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful force. |
| 21Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around. The Death of Aaron | 21So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; therefore Israel turned away from him. |
| 22The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. | 22So the entire company of Israelites traveled from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. |
| 23There, on the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, | 23And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom. He said: |
| 24“The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at 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. |
| 25Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. | 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up on Mount Hor. |
| 26There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.” | 26Remove Aaron's priestly garments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors and will die there." |
| 27So Moses did as the LORD commanded. The three of them went up Mount Hor together as the whole community watched. | 27So Moses did as the LORD commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. |
| 28At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down. | 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. |
| 29When the people realized that Aaron had died, all Israel mourned for him 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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