New International Reader's Version NIRV
New King James Version NKJV
1 In the first month the whole community of Israel arrived at the Desert of Zin. They stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there. Her body was also buried there.
1 Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 The people didn't have any water. So they gathered together to oppose Moses and Aaron.
2 Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
3 They argued with Moses. They said, "We wish we had died when our people fell dead in front of the Lord.
3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
4 "Why did you bring the LORD's people into this desert? We and our livestock will die here.
4 Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?
5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? Why did you bring us to this terrible place? It doesn't have any grain or figs. It doesn't have any grapes or pomegranates. There isn't even any water for us to drink!"
5 And 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."
6 Moses and Aaron left the people. They went to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There they fell with their faces to the ground. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
8 "Get your wooden staff. You and your brother Aaron gather the people together. Then speak to that rock while everyone is watching. It will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community. Then they and their livestock can drink it."
8 "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 you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals."
9 So Moses took the wooden staff from the tent. He did just as the LORD had commanded him.
9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.
10 He and Aaron gathered the people together in front of the rock. Moses said to them, "Listen, you who refuse to obey! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?"
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?"
11 Then Moses raised his arm. He hit the rock twice with his staff. Water poured out. And the people and their livestock drank it.
11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "You did not trust in me enough to honor me. You did not honor me as the holy God in front of the people of Israel. So you will not bring this community into the land I am giving them."
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow 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 Those were the waters of Meribah. That's where the people of Israel argued with the Lord. And that's where he showed them he is holy.
13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them.
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. The messengers said, "The nation of Israel is your brother. They say, 'You know about all of the hard times we've had.
14 Now Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. "Thus says your brother Israel: 'You know all the hardship that has befallen us,
15 Long ago our people went down into Egypt. We lived there for many years. The Egyptians treated us and our people badly.
15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.
16 But we cried out to the Lord. He heard our cry. He sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. " 'Now here we are at the town of Kadesh. It's on the edge of your territory.
16 When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.
17 Please let us pass through your country. We won't go through any field or vineyard. We won't drink water from any well. We'll travel along the king's highway. We won't turn to the right or the left. We'll just go straight through your territory.' "
17 Please let 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.' "
18 But the people of Edom answered, "You can't pass through here. If you try to, we'll march out against you. We'll attack you with our swords."
18 Then Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword."
19 The people of Israel replied, "We'll go along the main road. We and our livestock won't drink any of your water. If we do, we'll pay for it. We only want to walk through your country. That's all we ask."
19 So the children of Israel said to him, "We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more."
20 Again the people of Edom answered, "You can't pass through here." Then the people of Edom came out against them. They came with a large and powerful army.
20 Then he said, "You shall not pass through." So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.
21 Edom refused to let Israel go through their territory. So Israel turned away from them.
21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.
22 The whole community of Israel started out from Kadesh. They arrived at Mount Hor.
22 Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.
23 It was near the border of Edom. There the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying:
24 "Aaron will join the members of his family who have already died. He will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel. Both of you refused to obey my command. You did it at the waters of Meribah.
24 "Aaron shall be gathered 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 "So get Aaron and his son Eleazar. Take them up Mount Hor.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;
26 Take Aaron's official robes off him. Put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will die on Mount Hor. He will join the members of his family who have already died."
26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there."
27 Moses did just as the LORD had commanded. The three men went up Mount Hor while the whole community was watching.
27 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28 Moses took Aaron's official robes off him. He put them on Aaron's son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29 The whole community found out that Aaron had died. So the entire nation of Israel sobbed over him for 30 days.
29 Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.