1 Then came the sons of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 And there was no water for the congregation; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, Oh, that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
4 And why have ye caused the congregation of the LORD to come into this wilderness that we and our beasts should die here?
5 And why have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? It is not a place to plant seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates; there is not even any water to drink.
6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the congregation unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the LORD appeared upon them.
7 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
8 Take the rod and gather the congregation together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth its water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9 Then Moses took the rod from before the LORD as he commanded him.
10 And 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?
11 Then 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.
12 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore, ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13 These are the waters of Meribah; over which the sons of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14 And Moses sent ambassadors from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that has befallen us:
15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we were in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers;
16 and we cried unto the LORD, who heard our voice, and sent an angel and has brought us forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of thy border.
17 Let 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.
18 And Edom replied unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me lest I come out against thee with the sword.
19 And the sons 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 anything else, go through on my feet.
20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with many people and with a strong hand.
21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; and thus Israel turned away from him.
22 And the sons of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto Mount Hor.
23 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, on the borders of the land of Edom, saying,
24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his peoples; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the sons of Israel because ye were rebels to my word at the water of Meribah.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar, his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor
26 and cause Aaron to be stripped of his garments and put them upon Eleazar, his son; for Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there.
27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and they went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28 And Moses caused Aaron to be stripped of his garments and put them upon Eleazar, his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the families of Israel.