Numbers 20

vayyavo'u vene-yisra'el kol-ha'edah midbar-tsin bakhodesh harishon vayyeshev ha'am beqadesh vattamot sham miryam vattiqqaver sham

The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.

velo-hayah mayim la'edah vayyiqqahalu al-mosheh ve'al-aharon

The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.

vayyarev ha'am im-mosheh vayyomeru lemor velu gavanu bigva akhenu lifne Adonai

The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished by GOD’s will!

velamah havetem et-qehal Adonai el-hammidbar hazzeh lamut sham anakhnu uve'irenu

Why have you brought GOD’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die there?

velamah he'elitunu mimmitsrayim lehavi otanu el-hammaqom hara hazzeh lo meqom zera ute'enah vegefen verimmon umayim ayin lishtot

Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!”

vayyavo mosheh ve'aharon mippene haqqahal el-petakh ohel mo'ed vayyippelu al-penehem vayyera khevod-Adonai alehem

Moses and Aaron came away from the congregation to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The Presence of GOD appeared to them,

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh lemor

and GOD spoke to Moses, saying,

qakh et-hammatteh vehaqhel et-ha'edah attah ve'aharon akhikha vedibbartem el-hassela le'enehem venatan memayw vehotseta lahem mayim min-hassela vehishqita et-ha'edah ve'et-be'iram

“You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. Thus you shall produce water for them from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

vayyiqqakh mosheh et-hammatteh millifne Adonai ka'asher tsivvahu

Moses took the rod from before GOD, as he had been commanded.

vayyaqhilu mosheh ve'aharon et-haqqahal el-pene hassala vayyomer lahem shimu-na hammorim hamin-hassela hazzeh notsi lakhem mayim

Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?”

vayyarem mosheh et-yado vayyakh et-hassela bemattehu pa'amayim vayyetse'u mayim rabbim vattesht ha'edah uve'iram

And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their livestock drank.

vayyomer Adonai el-mosheh ve'el-aharon ya'an lo-he'emantem bi lehaqdisheni le'ene bene yisra'el lakhen lo tavi'u et-haqqahal hazzeh el-ha'arets asher-natatti lahem

But GOD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.”

hemmah me merivah asher-ravu vene-yisra'el et-Adonai vayyiqqadesh bam

Those are the waters of Meribah—meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with GOD—whose sanctity was affirmed through them.

vayyishlakh mosheh malakhim miqqadesh el-melekh edom koh amar akhikha yisra'el attah yadata et kol-hattela'ah asher metsa'atenu

From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardships that have befallen us;

vayyeredu avotenu mitsraymah vanneshev bemitsrayim yamim rabbim vayyare'u lanu mitsrayim vela'avotenu

that our ancestors went down to Egypt, that we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and that the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our ancestors.

vannitsaq el-Adonai vayyishma qolenu vayyishlakh malakh vayyotsi'enu mimmitsrayim vehinneh anakhnu veqadesh ir qetseh gevulekha

We cried to GOD—who, upon hearing our plea, sent a messenger who freed us from Egypt. Now we are in Kadesh, the town on the border of your territory.

naberah-nna ve'artsekha lo na'avor besadeh uvekherem velo nishteh me ve'er derekh hammelekh nelekh lo nitteh yamin usemovl ad asher-na'avor gevulekha

Allow us, then, to cross your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from wells. We will follow the king’s highway, turning off neither to the right nor to the left until we have crossed your territory.”

vayyomer elayw edom lo ta'avor bi pen-bakherev etse liqratekha

But Edom answered him, “You shall not pass through us, else we will go out against you with the sword.”

vayyomeru elayw bene-yisra'el bamsillah na'aleh ve'im-memekha nishteh ani umiqnay venatatti mikhram raq en-davar beraglay e'evorah

“We will keep to the beaten track,” the Israelites said to them, “and if we or our cattle drink your water, we will pay for it. We ask only for passage on foot—it is but a small matter.”

vayyomer lo ta'avor vayyetse edom liqrato be'am kaved uveyad khazaqah

But they replied, “You shall not pass through!” And Edom went out against them in heavy force, strongly armed.

vayema'en edom neton et-yisra'el avor bigvulo vayyet yisra'el me'alayw

So Edom would not let Israel cross their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

vayyisu miqqadesh vayyavo'u vene-yisra'el kol-ha'edah hor hahar

Setting out from Kadesh, the Israelites arrived in a body at Mount Hor.

vayyomer Adonai el-mosheh ve'el-aharon behor hahar al-gevul erets-edom lemor

At Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom, GOD said to Moses and Aaron,

ye'asef aharon el-ammayw ki lo yavo el-ha'arets asher natatti livne yisra'el al asher-meritem et-pi leme merivah

“Let Aaron be gathered to his kin: he is not to enter the land that I have assigned to the Israelite people, because you disobeyed My command about the waters of Meribah.

qakh et-aharon ve'et-elazar beno veha'al otam hor hahar

Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up on Mount Hor.

vehafshet et-aharon et-begadayw vehilbashtam et-elazar beno ve'aharon ye'asef umet sham

Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazar. There Aaron shall be gathered unto the dead.”

vayya'as mosheh ka'asher tsivvah Adonai vayya'alu el-hor hahar le'ene kol-ha'edah

Moses did as GOD had commanded. They ascended Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.

vayyafshet mosheh et-aharon et-begadayw vayyalbesh otam et-elazar beno vayyamot aharon sham berosh hahar vayyered mosheh ve'elazar min-hahar

Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazar, and Aaron died there on the summit of the mountain. When Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,

vayyiru kol-ha'edah ki gava aharon vayyivku et-aharon sheloshim yom kol bet yisra'el

the whole community knew that Aaron had breathed his last. All the house of Israel bewailed Aaron thirty days.