Numbers 20:2-23

21There was no water for the congregation, 2and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. 33The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “4If only we had perished 5when our brothers perished before the Lord! 46Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die 7here? 5Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? 8It is not a place of 9grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.” 6Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and 10fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them; 7and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8“Take 11the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.”

9So Moses took the rod 12from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; 10and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “13Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” 11Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and 14water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “15Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” 13Those were the waters of 1617Meribah, 18because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.

14From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to 19the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You 20know all the hardship that has befallen us; 15that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. 16But 21when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent 22an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17Please 23let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.’”

1824Edom, however, said to him, “You shall not pass through 25us, or I will come out with the sword against you.” 19Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and 26my livestock do drink any of your water, 27then I will 28pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, 29nothing else.” 20But he said, “30You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy 31force and with a strong hand. 2132Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; 33so Israel turned away from him.

22Now when they set out from 34Kadesh, the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron at 35Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying,