The Death of Miriam
1The Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died, and there she was buried.
Water from the Rock
2There was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves against Moses and Aaron. 3The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before Yahweh! 4Why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh into this wilderness, for us and our livestock to die here? 5Why did you make us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this terrible place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to them. 7Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said, 8“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water. You shall bring out water for them from the rock, and give the congregation and their livestock drink.” 9So Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, just as he had commanded him. 10Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly in front of the rock, and he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank. 12But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you shall not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” 13These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites contended with Yahweh, and he showed himself holy among them.
Edom Refuses Passage
14From Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has come upon us — 15how our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors. 16When we cried out to Yahweh, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through any field or vineyard, and we will not drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, or I will come out against you with the sword.” 19The Israelites said to him, “We will go up along the main road, and if we drink your water, we and our livestock, we will pay for it. Let us only pass through on foot — that is nothing.” 20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large force and a strong hand. 21So Edom refused to let Israel pass through his territory, and Israel turned away from him.
The Death of Aaron
22The Israelites, the whole congregation, set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. 23Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom. He said, 24“Aaron will be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land I have given to the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up Mount Hor. 26Strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.” 27So Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded, and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. 28Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the whole house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
