Numbers 20 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

No Water for the Congregation

1 Then the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, the whole ^H3605 congregation ^H5712, came ^H935 to the wilderness ^H4057 of Zin ^H6790 in the first ^H7223 month ^H2320; and the people ^H5971 stayed ^H3427 at Kadesh ^H6946. And Miriam ^H4813 died ^H4191 there ^H8033 and was buried ^H6912 there ^H8033.

2 Now there was no ^H3808 water ^H4325 for the congregation ^H5712, and they assembled ^H6950 themselves against ^H5921 Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175.

3 The people ^H5971 thus contended ^H7378 with Moses ^H4872 and spoke ^H559, saying ^H559, “If ^H3863 only ^H3863 we had breathed ^H1478 our ^H1478 last ^H1478 when our brothers ^H251 breathed ^H1478 their ^H1478 last ^H1478 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068! 4 Why ^H4100 then have you brought ^H935 the assembly ^H6951 of Yahweh ^H3068 into this ^H2088 wilderness ^H4057, for us and our beasts ^H1165 to die ^H4191 [fn]here ^H8033? 5 And why ^H4100 have you made us come ^H5927 up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714, to bring ^H935 us into this ^H2088 evil ^H7451 place ^H4725? It is not a place ^H4725 of [fn]grain ^H2233 or figs ^H8384 or vines ^H1612 or pomegranates ^H7416, nor ^H369 is ^H369 there ^H369 water ^H4325 to drink ^H8354.” 6 Then Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175 came ^H935 in ^H935 from the presence ^H6440 of the assembly ^H6951 to the doorway ^H6607 of the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150 and fell ^H5307 on their faces ^H6440. Then the glory ^H3519 of Yahweh ^H3068 appeared ^H7200 to them; 7 and Yahweh ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872, saying ^H559, 8 “Take ^H3947 the rod ^H4294; and you and your brother ^H251 Aaron ^H175 assemble ^H6950 the congregation ^H5712 and speak ^H1696 to the rock ^H5553 before their eyes ^H5869, that it may yield ^H5414 its water ^H4325. You shall thus bring ^H3318 forth ^H3318 water ^H4325 for them out of the rock ^H5553 and let ^H8248 the congregation ^H5712 and their beasts ^H1165 drink ^H8248.”

Moses Strikes the Rock

9 So Moses ^H4872 took ^H3947 the rod ^H4294 from before ^H4480 H6440 Yahweh ^H3068, just ^H834 as He had commanded ^H6680 him;

10 and Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175 gathered ^H6950 the assembly ^H6951 before ^H413 H6440 the rock ^H5553. And he said ^H559 to them, “Listen ^H8085 now ^H4994, you rebels ^H4784; shall we bring ^H3318 forth ^H3318 water ^H4325 for you out of this ^H2088 rock ^H5553?” 11 Then Moses ^H4872 raised ^H7311 high ^H7311 his hand ^H3027 and struck ^H5221 the rock ^H5553 twice ^H6471 with his rod ^H4294; and water ^H4325 came ^H3318 forth ^H3318 abundantly ^H7227, and the congregation ^H5712 and their beasts ^H1165 drank ^H8354. 12 But Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175, “Because ^H3282 you did not believe ^H539 Me, to treat ^H6942 Me as ^H6942 holy ^H6942 in the sight ^H5869 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, therefore ^H3651 you shall not bring ^H935 this ^H2088 assembly ^H6951 into the land ^H776 which ^H834 I have given ^H5414 them.” 13 Those ^H1992 were the waters ^H4325 of [fn]Meribah ^H4809 [fn]because ^H834 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 contended ^H7378 with Yahweh ^H3068, and He proved ^H6942 Himself holy ^H6942 among them.

Edom Refuses Passage

14 From Kadesh ^H6946 Moses ^H4872 then sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to the king ^H4428 of Edom ^H123: “Thus ^H3541 your brother ^H251 Israel ^H3478 has said ^H559, ‘You know ^H3045 all ^H3605 the hardship ^H8513 that has befallen ^H4672 us,

15 that our fathers ^H1 went ^H3381 down ^H3381 to Egypt ^H4714, and we stayed ^H3427 in Egypt ^H4714 a long ^H7227 time ^H3117, and the Egyptians ^H4714 treated ^H7489 us and our fathers ^H1 badly ^H7489. 16 So we cried ^H6817 out ^H6817 to Yahweh ^H3068, and He heard ^H8085 our voice ^H6963 and sent ^H7971 an angel ^H4397 and brought ^H3318 us out ^H3318 from Egypt ^H4714; now behold ^H2009, we are at Kadesh ^H6946, a town ^H5892 on the edge ^H7097 of your territory ^H1366. 17 Please ^H4994 let us pass ^H5674 through your land ^H776. We will not pass ^H5674 through field ^H7704 or through vineyard ^H3754; we will not even drink ^H8354 water ^H4325 from a well ^H875. We will go ^H1980 along the king’s ^H4428 highway ^H1870; we will not turn ^H5186 to the right ^H3225 or to the left ^H8040 until ^H5704 H834 we pass ^H5674 through ^H5674 your territory ^H1366.’”

18 Edom ^H123, however, said ^H559 to him, “You shall not pass ^H5674 through [fn]us, lest ^H6435 I come ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 you with the sword ^H2719.” 19 Again, the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to him, “We will go ^H5927 up ^H5927 by the highway ^H4546, and if ^H518 I and my livestock ^H4735 do drink ^H8354 any of your water ^H4325, then I will [fn]pay ^H5414 its price ^H4377. Let me only ^H7534 pass ^H5674 through ^H5674 on my feet ^H7272, [fn]nothing ^H369 H1697 else.” 20 But he said ^H559, “You shall not pass ^H5674 through ^H5674.” And Edom ^H123 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 him with a heavy ^H3515 [fn]force ^H5971 and with a strong ^H2389 hand ^H3027. 21 Thus Edom ^H123 refused ^H3985 to allow ^H5414 Israel ^H3478 to pass ^H5674 through his territory ^H1366; so Israel ^H3478 turned ^H5186 away ^H5186 from him.

22 Then they set ^H5265 out ^H5265 from Kadesh ^H6946, and the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, the whole ^H3605 congregation ^H5712, came ^H935 to Mount ^H2022 Hor ^H2023.

The Death of Aaron

23 And Yahweh ^H3068 spoke ^H559 to Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175 at Mount ^H2022 Hor ^H2023 by the border ^H1366 of the land ^H776 of Edom ^H123, saying ^H559, 24 “Aaron ^H175 will be gathered ^H622 to his people ^H5971, for he shall not enter ^H935 the land ^H776 which ^H834 I have given ^H5414 to the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 because ^H5921 H834 you rebelled ^H4784 against ^H854 My [fn]command ^H6310 at the waters ^H4325 of Meribah ^H4809. 25 Take ^H3947 Aaron ^H175 and his son ^H1121 Eleazar ^H499 and bring ^H5927 them up ^H5927 to Mount ^H2022 Hor ^H2023; 26 and strip ^H6584 Aaron ^H175 of his garments ^H899 and put ^H3847 them on ^H3847 his son ^H1121 Eleazar ^H499. So Aaron ^H175 will be gathered ^H622 to his people and will die ^H4191 there ^H8033.” 27 So Moses ^H4872 did ^H6213 just ^H834 as Yahweh ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680, and they went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Mount ^H2022 Hor ^H2023 in the sight ^H5869 of all ^H3605 the congregation ^H5712. 28 And Moses ^H4872 stripped ^H6584 Aaron ^H175 of his garments ^H899 and put ^H3847 them on ^H3847 his son ^H1121 Eleazar ^H499, and Aaron ^H175 died ^H4191 there ^H8033 on the mountain ^H2022 top ^H7218. Then Moses ^H4872 and Eleazar ^H499 came ^H3381 down ^H3381 from the mountain ^H2022. 29 So all ^H3605 the congregation ^H5712 saw ^H7200 that Aaron ^H175 breathed ^H1478 his last ^H1478, and all ^H3605 the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478 wept ^H1058 for Aaron ^H175 thirty ^H7970 days ^H3117.