Numbers 20
20
Moses Strikes the Rock
1In the first month of the year,#20:1 The first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of March and April. The number of years since leaving Egypt is not specified. the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.
2There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. 3The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! 4Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? 5Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”
6Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle,#20:6 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting. where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, 7and the Lord said to Moses, 8“You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”
9So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. 10Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.
12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” 13This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them.
Edom Refuses Israel Passage
14While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent ambassadors to the king of Edom with this message:
“This is what your relatives, the people of Israel, say: You know all the hardships we have been through. 15Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians. 16But when we cried out to the Lord, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us out of Egypt. Now we are camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land. 17Please let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road and never leave it until we have passed through your territory.”
18But the king of Edom said, “Stay out of my land, or I will meet you with an army!”
19The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.”
20But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. 21Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.
The Death of Aaron
22The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. 23There, on the border of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24“The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah. 25Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. 26There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.”
27So Moses did as the Lord commanded. The three of them went up Mount Hor together as the whole community watched. 28At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down. 29When the people realized that Aaron had died, all Israel mourned for him thirty days.
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Numbers 20: NLT
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Numbers 20
20
Moses’ Error at Kadesh
1Then#Num. 13:21; 33:36 the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in #Num. 13:26Kadesh; and #Ex. 15:20; Num. 26:59Miriam died there and was buried there.
2#Ex. 17:1Now there was no water for the congregation; #Num. 16:19, 42so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3And the people #Ex. 17:2; Num. 14:2contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died #Num. 11:1, 33; 14:37; 16:31–35, 49when our brethren died before the Lord! 4#Ex. 17:3Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” 6So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and #Num. 14:5; 16:4, 22, 45they fell on their faces. And #Num. 14:10the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8#Ex. 4:17, 20; 17:5, 6“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus #Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:15, 16; 105:41; Is. 43:20; 48:21; (1 Cor. 10:4)you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” 9So Moses took the rod #Num. 17:10from before the Lord as He commanded him.
10And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, #Ps. 106:33“Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; #Ex. 17:6; Deut. 8:15; Ps. 78:16; Is. 48:21; (1 Cor. 10:4)and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because #Num. 20:28; 27:14; Deut. 1:37; 3:26, 27; 34:5you did not believe Me, to #Lev. 10:3; Ezek. 20:41; 36:23; 1 Pet. 3:15hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
13#Deut. 33:8; Ps. 106:32This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them.
Passage Through Edom Refused
14#Judg. 11:16, 17Now Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of #Gen. 36:31–39Edom. #Deut. 2:4; Obad. 10–12“Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us, 15#Gen. 46:6; Acts 7:15how our fathers went down to Egypt, #Ex. 12:40and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, #Ex. 1:11; Deut. 26:6; Acts 7:19and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers. 16#Ex. 2:23; 3:7When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and #Ex. 3:2; 14:19sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. 17Please #Num. 21:22let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’ ”
18Then #Num. 24:18; Ps. 137:7; Ezek. 25:12, 13; Obad. 10–15Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.”
19So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, #Deut. 2:6, 28then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”
20Then he said, #Judg. 11:17“You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand. 21Thus Edom #Deut. 2:27, 30refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel #Deut. 2:8; Judg. 11:18turned away from him.
Death of Aaron
22Now the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from #Num. 33:37Kadesh #Num. 21:4and came to Mount Hor. 23And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying: 24“Aaron shall be #Gen. 25:8; Deut. 32:50gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25#Num. 33:38; Deut. 32:50Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” 27So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28#Ex. 29:29, 30; Deut. 10:6Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and #Num. 33:38Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron #Gen. 50:3, 10; Deut. 34:8thirty days.
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