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¹ THEN came the children of Israel, the whole congregation, into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Rakim; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.² And there was no water for the people to drink; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.³ And the people quarreled with Moses and with Aaron, saying, Would God that we had died with the death with which our brethren died before the LORD!⁴ Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die here?⁵ And why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, and have brought us to this evil place? It is no place for grain, or for wine or figs or pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.⁷ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,⁸ Take the rod, and gather the assembly together, you and Aaron your brother, and speak over the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock, so that you shall give the congregation and their cattle drink.⁹ And 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; out of this rock we will bring forth water for you.¹¹ And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the people drank and all their cattle also.¹² And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the presence of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.¹³ These are the waters of Mesotha (contention); because the children of Israel strove before the LORD, and he was sanctified among them.

¹⁴ And Moses sent messengers from Rakim to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the trouble that has befallen us,¹⁵ How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians oppressed us and our fathers;¹⁶ And when we prayed before the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Rakim, a town in the uttermost of your border;¹⁷ Now let us pass through your land; we will not pass through the fields, nor through the vineyards, neither will we drink the water of the wells; but we will go by the kings highway, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed your borders.¹⁸ But Edom said to him, You shall not pass through my border, lest I come out against you with the sword.¹⁹ And the children of Israel said to him, We will go up by the highway; and if we and our cattle drink of your water, then we will pay for it; we will only pass through it on foot.²⁰ But Edom said. You shall not pass through. And Edom came out against them with a strong force, and with a strong hand.²¹ Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; wherefore Israel turned away from him.

²² And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Rakim, and came to mount Hot.²³ And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom,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 Mesotha, and did not sanctify me at the water in their presence.²⁵ Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to mount Hor;²⁶ And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there.²⁷ And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.²⁸ And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on mount Hot; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.²⁹ And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, all the house of Israel.