King James Version, Updated™

(1) Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

(2) But there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

(3) And the people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, "We wish to God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

(4) Why have YOU brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

(5) And why have YOU made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink."

(6) So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell on their faces, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

(7) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

(8) "Take the rod, and you gather the assembly together, you and Aaron your brother, and YOU speak to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth water, and you shall bring to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their beasts water to drink."

(9) Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

(10) And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, YOU rebels; must we bring YOU water out of this rock?"

(11) Then Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he struck the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

(12) The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because YOU did not believe me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore YOU shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them."

(13) This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

(14) And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, "Thus said your brother Israel, 'You know all the hardship that has befallen us;

(15) How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians afflicted us, and our fathers.

(16) And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the outskirts of your border.

(17) Please, let us pass through your country; we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink the water from the wells; we will go by the king’s highway, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your borders.' "

(18) Then Edom said to him, "You shall not pass by me, lest I come out against you with the sword."

(19) So the children of Israel said to him, "We will go by the highway; and if I and my cattle drink from your water, then I will pay for it; I will only go through on my feet, without doing anything else."

(20) And he said, "You shall not go through." And Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

(21) Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

(22) And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came to mount Hor.

(23) The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron at mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

(24) "Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because YOU rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

(25) Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to mount Hor;

(26) And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there."

(27) So Moses did as the LORD commanded, and they went up to mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

(28) Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

(29) When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron 30 days, all the house of Israel.