Numbers 20:14-24

¹⁴Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, telling him, “This is what your brother Israel says. You know all about the difficulties we've faced.

¹⁵Our forefathers went to Egypt and we lived there for a long time. The Egyptians treated us and our forefathers badly,

¹⁶so we called out to the Lord for help, and he heard our cries. He sent an angel and led us out of Egypt. Listen, now we are in Kadesh, a town on the border of your territory.

¹⁷Please allow us to travel through your country. We won't cross any of your fields or vineyards, or drink water from any of your wells. We will stay on the King's Highway; we won't turn off either to the right or to the left until we have passed through your country.”

¹⁸But the king of Edom replied, “You are forbidden to travel through our country, otherwise we will come out and stop you by force.”

¹⁹“We'll keep to the main road,” the Israelites persisted. “If we or our livestock drink your water, we'll pay you for it. That's all we want—just to pass through on foot.”

²⁰But the king of Edom insisted, “You are forbidden to travel through our country!” He came out with his large and powerful army to meet the Israelites head-on.

²¹Since the king of Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through his territory, the Israelites had to turn back.

²²The Israelites all left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor.

²³At Mount Hor, near the border with the country of Edom, the Lord told Moses and Aaron,

²⁴“Aaron will shortly join his forefathers in death. He will not enter the country I have given the Israelites, because you both disobeyed my command at the waters of Meribah.