Numbers 20

2  And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon.

3  And the people strove with Moshe, and spoke, saying: ‘Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before Hashem!

4  And why have ye brought the assembly of Hashem into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle?

5  And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto 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  And Moshe and Aharon went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell upon their faces; and the glory of Hashem appeared unto them.

7  And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying:

8  ‘Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aharon thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.’

9  And Moshe took the rod from before Hashem, as He commanded him.

10  And Moshe and Aharon gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them: ‘Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out of this rock?’

11  And Moshe lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

13  These are the waters of Meribah, where B’nei Yisrael strove with Hashem, and He was sanctified in them.

14  And Moshe sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom: ‘Thus saith thy brother Yisrael: Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us;

15  how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers;

16  and when we cried unto Hashem, He heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border.

17  Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land; we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king’s highway, we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.’

18  And Edom said unto him: ‘Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.’

19  And B’nei Yisrael said unto him: ‘We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof; let me only pass through on my feet; there is no hurt.’

20  And he said: ‘Thou shalt not pass through.’ And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

21  Thus Edom refused to give Yisrael passage through his border; wherefore Yisrael turned away from him.

22  And they journeyed from Kadesh; and B’nei Yisrael, even the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

23  And Hashem spoke unto Moshe and Aharon in mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying:

24  ‘Aharon shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto B’nei Yisrael, because ye rebelled against My word at the waters of Meribah.

26  And strip Aharon of his garments, and put them upon Elazar his son; and Aharon shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.’

27  And Moshe did as Hashem commanded; and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28  And Moshe stripped Aharon of his garments, and put them upon Elazar his son; and Aharon died there in the top of the mount; and Moshe and Elazar came down from the mount.

29  And when all the congregation saw that Aharon was dead, they wept for Aharon thirty days, even all the house of Yisrael.