1In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.[ † ]Numbers 13:21Numbers 33:36Numbers 13:26Exodus 15:20Numbers 26:59
2Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.[ † ]Exodus 17:1Numbers 16:19-42 3The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the Lord![ † ]Exodus 17:2Numbers 14:2Numbers 11:1-33Numbers 14:37Numbers 16:31-35, 49 4Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?[ † ]Exodus 17:3 5Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”
6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.[ † ]Numbers 14:5Numbers 16:4-22, 45Numbers 14:10 7And the Lord said to Moses, 8“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”[ † ]Exodus 4:17-20Exodus 17:5-6Nehemiah 9:15Psalms 78:15-16Psalms 105:41Isaiah 43:20Isaiah 48:211 Corinthians 10:4
9So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he had been commanded.[ † ]Numbers 17:10 10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”[ † ]Psalms 106:33 11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.[ † ]Exodus 17:6Deuteronomy 8:15Psalms 78:16Isaiah 48:211 Corinthians 10:4
12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”[ † ]Numbers 20:28Numbers 27:14Deuteronomy 1:37Deuteronomy 3:26-27Deuteronomy 34:5Leviticus 10:3Ezekiel 20:41Ezekiel 36:231 Peter 3:15
13These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and He showed His holiness among them.[ † ]Deuteronomy 33:8Psalms 106:32
14From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,[ † ]Judges 11:16-17Genesis 36:31-39Deuteronomy 2:4Obadiah 10-12 15how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,[ † ]Genesis 46:6Acts 7:15Exodus 12:40Exodus 1:11Deuteronomy 26:6Acts 7:19
16and when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.[ † ]Exodus 2:23Exodus 3:7Exodus 3:2Exodus 14:19 17Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”[ † ]Numbers 21:22
18But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”[ † ]Numbers 24:18Psalms 137:7Ezekiel 25:12-13Obadiah 10-15
19“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”[ † ]Deuteronomy 2:6-28
20But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.[ † ]Judges 11:17 21So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.[ † ]Deuteronomy 2:27-30Deuteronomy 2:8Judges 11:18
22After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.[ † ]Numbers 33:37Numbers 21:4 23And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.[ † ]Genesis 25:8Deuteronomy 32:50 25Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.[ † ]Numbers 33:38Deuteronomy 32:50 26Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”
27So Moses did as the Lord had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. 28After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.[ † ]Exodus 29:29-30Deuteronomy 10:6Numbers 33:38 29When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.[ † ]Genesis 50:3-10Deuteronomy 34:8