¶ Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into² the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh³; and Miriam⁴ died there, and was buried there.

And there was no⁵ water for the congregation: and they gathered⁶ themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God⁷ that we had died when⁸ our brethren died before the LORD!

And why⁹ have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we¹⁰ and our cattle should die there?

And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil¹¹ place? it is no place of¹² seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell¹³ upon their faces: and the glory¹⁴ of the LORD appeared unto them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Take the rod¹⁵, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak¹⁶ ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth¹⁷ to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

¹⁸And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

¶¹⁹And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch²⁰ you water out of this rock?

And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote²¹ the rock twice: and the water²² came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed²³ me not, to sanctify²⁴ me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall²⁵ not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

This is the water²⁶ of Meribah²⁷; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

¶ And Moses²⁹ sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother³⁰ Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us³¹:

How our fathers³² went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt³³ in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us,³⁴ and our fathers:

And when we cried³⁵ unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an³⁶ angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

³⁷Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

³⁸And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.

¶ And he said, Thou shalt³⁹ not go through. And Edom⁴⁰ came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

Thus Edom refused⁴¹ to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore⁴² Israel turned away from him.

¶ And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh⁴³, and came unto mount Hor⁴⁴.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

Aaron shall be gathered⁴⁵ unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye⁴⁶ rebelled against my word⁴⁷ at the water of Meribah.

⁴⁸Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

⁴⁹And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

And Moses⁵⁰ stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them⁵¹ upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there⁵² in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

⁵³And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.