Water From the Rock

20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin,^(A) and they stayed at Kadesh.^(B) There Miriam^(C) died and was buried.

² Now there was no water^(D) for the community,^(E) and the people gathered in opposition^(F) to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled^(G) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead^(H) before the Lord!^{(I) 4} Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,^(J) that we and our livestock should die here?^{(K) 5} Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.^(L) And there is no water to drink!^(M)”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting^(N) and fell facedown,^(O) and the glory of the Lord^(P) appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff,^(Q) and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.^(R) You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff^(S) from the Lord’s presence,^(T) just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together^(U) in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”^{(V) 11} Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water^(W) gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy^(X) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”^(Y)

¹³ These were the waters of Meribah,^[a](Z) where the Israelites quarreled^(AA) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.^(AB)

Edom Denies Israel Passage

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh^(A) to the king of Edom,^(B) saying:

¹⁸ But Edom^(M) answered:

¹⁹ The Israelites replied:

²⁰ Again they answered:

Then Edom^(R) came out against them with a large and powerful army. ²¹ Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory,^(S) Israel turned away from them.^(T)

The Death of Aaron

²² The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh^(U) and came to Mount Hor.^{(V) 23} At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom,^(W) the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people.^(X) He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command^(Y) at the waters of Meribah.^{(Z) 25} Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.^{(AA) 26} Remove Aaron’s garments^(AB) and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people;^(AC) he will die there.”

²⁷ Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor^(AD) in the sight of the whole community. ²⁸ Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar.^(AE) And Aaron died there^(AF) on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, ²⁹ and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died,^(AG) all the Israelites mourned for him^(AH) thirty days.

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.