1 Then the children of Israel came with ye whole Congregation to the desert of Zin in the first moneth, and the people abode at Cadesh: where Miriam died, and was buried there. 2 But there was no water for the Congregation, and they assembled them selues against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God we had perished, when our brethren died before the Lord. 4 Why haue ye thus brought the Congregation of the Lord vnto his wildernesse, that both we, and our cattell should die there? 5 Wherefore nowe haue yee made vs to come vp from Egypt, to bring vs into this miserable place, which is no place of seede, nor figges, nor vines, nor pomegranates? neither is there any water to drinke. 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the assemblie vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and fell vpon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared vnto them. 7 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou and thy brother Aaron the Congregation together, and speake yee vnto the rocke before their eyes, and it shall giue foorth his water, and thou shalt bring them water out of the rocke: so thou shalt giue the Congregation, and their beastes drinke. 9 Then Moses tooke the rod from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the Congregation together before the rocke, and Moses sayd vnto them, Heare nowe, ye rebels: shall we bring you water out of this rocke? 11 Then Moses lift vp his hande, and with his rod he smote the rocke twise, and the water came out aboundantly: so the Congregation, and their beastes dranke. 12 Againe the Lord spake vnto Moses, and to Aaron, Because ye beleeued me not, to sanctifie mee in the presence of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the land which I haue giuen them. 13 This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel stroue with the Lord, and hee was sanctified in them. 14 Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh vnto the king of Edom, saying, Thus sayth thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the trauaile that we haue had, 15 How our fathers went downe into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, where the Egyptians handled vs euill and our fathers. 16 But when we cried vnto the Lord, he heard our voyce, and sent an Angel, and hath brought vs out of Egypt, and beholde, wee are in the citie Kadesh, in thine vtmost border. 17 I pray thee that we may passe through thy countrey: we will not goe through the fieldes nor the vineyardes, neither will we drinke of the water of the welles: we will goe by the kings way, and neither turne vnto the right hand nor to the left, vntill we be past thy borders. 18 And Edom answered him, Thou shalt not passe by mee, least I come out against thee with the sword. 19 Then the children of Israel said vnto him, We will goe vp by the hie way: and if I and my cattell drinke of thy water, I will then pay for it: I will onely (without any harme) goe through on my feete. 20 Hee answered againe, Thou shalt not goe through. The Edom came out against him with much people, and with a mightie power. 21 Thus Edom denyed to giue Israel passage through his countrey: wherefore Israel turned away from him. 22 And when the children of Israel with al the Congregation departed from Kadesh, they came vnto the mount Hor. 23 And the Lord spake vnto Moses and to Aaron in the mount Hor neere the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered vnto his people: for hee shall not enter into the lande, which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel, because ye disobeyed my commandement at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne, and bring them vp into the mount Hor, 26 And cause Aaron to put off his garmentes and put them vpon Eleazar his sonne: for Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers, and shall die there. 27 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded: and they went vp into the mount Hor, in the sight of all the Congregation. 28 And Moses put off Aarons clothes, and put them vpon Eleazar his sonne: so Aaron dyed there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came downe from off the mount. 29 When al the Congregation sawe that Aaron was dead, al the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirtie dayes.
Events at Kadesh
(Exodus 17.1-7)1 In the first month the whole community of Israel came to the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 There was no water where they camped, so the people gathered around Moses and Aaron 3 and complained: “It would have been better if we had died in front of the Lord's Tent along with the other Israelites. 4 Why have you brought us out into this wilderness? Just so that we can die here with our animals? 5 Why did you bring us out of Egypt into this miserable place where nothing will grow? There's no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates. There is not even any water to drink!” 6 Moses and Aaron moved away from the people and stood at the entrance of the Tent. They bowed down with their faces to the ground, and the dazzling light of the Lord's presence appeared to them.
7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the stick that is in front of the Covenant Box, and then you and Aaron assemble the whole community. There in front of them all speak to that rock over there, and water will gush out of it. In this way you will bring water out of the rock for the people, for them and their animals to drink.” 9 Moses went and got the stick, as the Lord had commanded.
10 He and Aaron assembled the whole community in front of the rock, and Moses said, “Listen, you rebels! Do we have to get water out of this rock for you?” 11 Then Moses raised the stick and struck the rock twice with it, and a great stream of water gushed out, and all the people and animals drank.
12 But the Lord reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, “Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them.”
13 This happened at Meribah, where the people of Israel complained against the Lord and where he showed them that he is holy.
The King of Edom Refuses to Let Israel Pass
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. They said, “This message is from your kinsmen, the tribes of Israel. You know the hardships we have suffered, 15 how our ancestors went to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated our ancestors and us, 16 and we cried to the Lord for help. He heard our cry and sent an angel, who led us out of Egypt. Now we are at Kadesh, a town at the border of your territory. 17 Please permit us to pass through your land. We and our cattle will not leave the road or go into your fields or vineyards, and we will not drink from your wells. We will stay on the main road until we are out of your territory.”
18 But the Edomites answered, “We refuse to let you pass through our country! If you try, we will march out and attack you.”
19 The people of Israel said, “We will stay on the main road, and if we or our animals drink any of your water, we will pay for it—all we want is to pass through.”
20 The Edomites repeated, “We refuse!” and they marched out with a powerful army to attack the people of Israel. 21 Because the Edomites would not let the Israelites pass through their territory, the Israelites turned and went another way.
The Death of Aaron
22 The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor, 23 on the border of Edom. There the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Aaron is not going to enter the land which I promised to give to Israel; he is going to die, because the two of you rebelled against my command at Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor, 26 and there remove Aaron's priestly robes and put them on Eleazar. Aaron is going to die there.” 27 Moses did what the Lord had commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community, 28 and Moses removed Aaron's priestly robes and put them on Eleazar. There on the top of the mountain Aaron died, and Moses and Eleazar came back down. 29 The whole community learned that Aaron had died, and they all mourned for him for thirty days.