1Then the children of Israel, the whole community, came into the desert of Zin in the first month. The people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there, and she was buried there.
3The people argued with Moses. They said, "If only we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!"
4"Why have you brought the community of the LORD into this wilderness, so that we and our cattle should die here?"
5"And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for seed, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates. There is not even any water to drink."
6Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the door of the tent of meeting, and they fell on their faces. The glory of the LORD appeared to them.
7The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,
8"Take the rod, and gather the assembly together, you and Aaron your brother. Speak to the rock in front of them, and it will give out its water. So you will bring them water out of the rock, and give the community and their animals a drink."
9So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he had commanded him.
10Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels. Must we bring you water out of this rock?"
11Then Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he struck the rock twice. The water came out in plenty, and the community drank, and their animals too.
12And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe me, to treat me as holy in the eyes of the children of Israel, you will not bring this community into the land which I have given them."
13This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel argued with the LORD, and he was shown to be holy among them.
14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has come upon us."
15"Our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians treated us badly, and our fathers too."
16"When we cried out to the LORD, he heard our voice. He sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border."
17"Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through the fields or the vineyards, and we will not drink the water of the wells. We will go by the king's highway. We will not turn to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed your borders."
18But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through my land, or I will come out against you with the sword."
19The children of Israel said to him, "We will go by the highway. If I and my cattle drink your water, then I will pay for it. I only want to go through on foot, nothing more."
20And he said, "You shall not go through." And Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.
21So Edom refused to let Israel pass through his border, and Israel turned away from him.
22The children of Israel, the whole community, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.
24"Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah."
26"Take off Aaron's garments and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there."
28Moses took off Aaron's garments and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, all the house of Israel.