Numbers 20:1-20

¹And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there, and was buried there.

²And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.

³And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our brethren before the Lord!

⁴And therefore have you° brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?

⁵And therefore is this? You° have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there water to drink.

⁶And Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of witness, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

⁷And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁸Take your rod, and call the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak you° to the rock before them, and it shall give forth its waters; and you° shall bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.

⁹And Moses took his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and said to them, Hear me, you° disobedient ones; must we bring you water out of this rock?

¹¹And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and much water came forth, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

¹²And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you° have not believed me to sanctify me before the children of Israel, therefore you° shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

¹³This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

¹⁴And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your brother Israel; You know all the distress that has come upon us.

¹⁵And how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

¹⁶And we cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt; and now we are in the city of Cades, at the extremity of your coasts.

¹⁷We will pass through your land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of your cistern: we will go by the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed your borders.

¹⁸And Edom said to him, You shall not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet you in war.

¹⁹And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and my cattle drink of your water, I will pay you: but it is no matter of importance, we will go by the mountain.

²⁰And he said, You shall not pass through me; and Edom went forth to meet him with a great host, and a mighty hand.