CHAPTER 20
1 And the sons of Israel and all the multitude came into the desert of Zin, in the first month. And the people dwelled in Kadesh; and Marie was dead there, and buried in the same place.
2 And when the people had need to water, they went together against Moses and Aaron;
3 and they were turned into dissension, that is, rebelty and striving, and said, We would that we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.
4 Why have ye led out the church of the Lord into wilderness, that both we and our beasts die?
5 Why have ye made us to go up from Egypt, and have brought us into this worst place, which may not be sown, which neither bringeth forth fig trees, nor vines, neither pomegranates; furthermore and it hath not water to drink?
6 And when the multitude was left, Moses and Aaron entered into the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, and they fell down low upon the earth, and they cried to God, and said, Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a well of quick water, that when they be filled, the grutching of them cease. And the glory of the Lord appeared upon them;
7 and the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
8 Take the rod of Aaron, and gather together the people, thou, and Aaron thy brother; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out waters. And when thou hast led water out of the stone, all the multitude shall drink, and their beasts thereof.
9 Therefore Moses took the rod that was in the sight of the Lord, as the Lord commanded to him,
10 when the multitude was gathered before the stone; and he said to them, Hear ye, rebel[s], and unbelieveful; whether we may bring out of this stone water to you?
11 And when Moses had raised his hand, and had smitten the flint twice with the rod, most large waters went out, so that the people drank, and their beasts.
12 And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, For ye believed not to me, that ye should hallow me before the sons of Israel, ye shall not lead these peoples into the land which I shall give to them.
13 This is the water of Against-saying; there the sons of Israel strived against the Lord, and he was hallowed in them.
14 In the meantime Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, the which said, Israel thy brother, sendeth these things to thee. Thou knowest all the travail that hath taken us,
15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelled there much time, and Egyptians tormented us, and our fathers;
16 and how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel that [hath] led us out of Egypt. And lo! we be set in the city of Kadesh, that is in thine uttermost coasts,
17 and we beseech thee that it be leaveful to us to pass through thy land; we shall not go by thy fields, neither by thy vineries [or vines], neither we shall drink waters of thy pits or wells; but we shall go in the common way, and we shall not bow to the right side, neither to the left side, till we pass thy terms.
18 To whom Edom answered, Ye shall not pass by me, else I shall be armed, and come against thee.
19 And the sons of Israel said, We shall go by the way commonly used, and if we and our beasts drink thy waters, we shall give that that is just; no hardness shall be in the price, only pass we in haste.
20 And he answered, Ye shall not pass by me. And anon he went out against Israel, with a multitude with-out number, and [with a] strong hand or with strong power,
21 neither he would assent to Israel beseeching, that he should grant passage by his coasts.
22 Wherefore Israel turned away from him. And when Israel had moved their tents from Kadesh, they came into the hill of Hor,
23 which is in the ends of the land of Edom; where the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
24 Aaron go to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I gave to the sons of Israel, for he was unbelieveful to my word, at the waters of Against-saying.
25 Take thou Aaron, and his son with him, and thou shalt lead them into the hill of Hor;
26 and when thou hast made naked the father of his cloth, thou shalt clothe therewith Eleazar, his son, and Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.
27 And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they ascended [or went up] into the hill of Hor, before all the multitude.
28 And when Moses had made naked Aaron of his clothes, he clothed with those [or them] Eleazar, his son. Soothly when Aaron was dead in the top of the hill, Moses came down with Eleazar.
29 Soothly all the multitude saw that Aaron was dead, and it wept upon him thirty days, by all their meines.