Numbers 20

New International Version

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.

²Now there was no water^(D) for the community,^(E) and the people gathered in opposition^(F) to Moses and Aaron. ³They quarreled^(G) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead^(H) before the Lord!^(I) ⁴Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,^(J) that we and our livestock should die here?^(K) ⁵Why 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)”

⁶Moses 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. ⁷The 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.”

⁹So Moses took the staff^(S) from the Lord’s presence,^(T) just as he commanded him. ¹⁰He 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) ¹¹Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water^(W) 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^(X) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”^(Y)

¹³These 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

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

“This is what your brother Israel says: You know^(AE) about all the hardships^(AF) that have come on us. ¹⁵Our ancestors went down into Egypt,^(AG) and we lived there many years.^(AH) The Egyptians mistreated^(AI) us and our ancestors, ¹⁶but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry^(AJ) and sent an angel^(AK) and brought us out of Egypt.^(AL)

“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.^(AM) ¹⁷Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.^(AN)”

¹⁸But Edom^(AO) answered:

“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.^(AP)”

¹⁹The Israelites replied:

“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock^(AQ) drink any of your water, we will pay for it.^(AR) We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”

²⁰Again they answered:

“You may not pass through.^(AS)”

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

The Death of Aaron

²²The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh^(AW) and came to Mount Hor.^(AX) ²³At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom,^(AY) the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁴“Aaron will be gathered to his people.^(AZ) He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command^(BA) at the waters of Meribah.^(BB) ²⁵Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.^(BC) ²⁶Remove Aaron’s garments^(BD) and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people;^(BE) he will die there.”

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

Footnotes

Numbers 20:13 Meribah means quarreling.

Isaiah 9:8-10:4

New International Version

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^(A) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹All the people will know it—
    Ephraim^(B) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(C)—
who say with pride
    and arrogance^(D) of heart,
¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(E)
the fig^(F) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.^(G)”
¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^(H) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹²Arameans^(I) from the east and Philistines^(J) from the west
    have devoured^(K) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^(L) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(M)

¹³But the people have not returned^(N) to him who struck^(O) them,
    nor have they sought^(P) the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed^(Q) in a single day;^(R)
¹⁵the elders^(S) and dignitaries^(T) are the head,
    the prophets^(U) who teach lies^(V) are the tail.
¹⁶Those who guide^(W) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.^(X)
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^(Y)
    nor will he pity^(Z) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly^(AA) and wicked,^(AB)
    every mouth speaks folly.^(AC)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AD)

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^(AE)
    it consumes briers and thorns,^(AF)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^(AG)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the wrath^(AH) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched^(AI)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;^(AJ)
    they will not spare one another.^(AK)
²⁰On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;^(AL)
on the left they will eat,^(AM)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[a]:
²¹    Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^(AN)
    together they will turn against Judah.^(AO)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AP)

10 Woe^(AQ) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,^(AR)
²to deprive^(AS) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^(AT)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.^(AU)
³What will you do on the day of reckoning,^(AV)
    when disaster^(AW) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?^(AX)
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^(AY)
    or fall among the slain.^(AZ)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(BA)
his hand is still upraised.

Footnotes

Isaiah 9:20 Or arm

Psalm 125

New International Version

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

¹Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,^(A)
    which cannot be shaken^(B) but endures forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,^(C)
    so the Lord surrounds^(D) his people
    both now and forevermore.

³The scepter^(E) of the wicked will not remain^(F)
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.^(G)

⁴Lord, do good^(H) to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.^(I)
⁵But those who turn^(J) to crooked ways^(K)
the Lord will banish^(L) with the evildoers.