Numbers 20:2-13

King James Version

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

³And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!

⁴And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

⁵And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

⁶And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

⁷And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

⁸Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

⁹And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

¹¹And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

¹²And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

¹³This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

Read full chapter

Numbers 20:2-13

New International Version

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

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

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

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

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

Read full chapter