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The Fourth Book of Moses: Called Numbers, Chapter 20
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1 |
Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation,
into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in
Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
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2 |
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
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3 |
And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God
that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
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4 |
And why
have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness,
that we and our cattle should die there?
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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.
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6 |
And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon
their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
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7 |
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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8 |
Take the rod, andgather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and
speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his
water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so
thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
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9 |
And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
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10 |
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before
the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch
you water out of this rock?
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11 |
And Moses lifted up his hand, and
with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out
abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
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12 |
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me
not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore
ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given
them.
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13 |
This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel
strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
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14 |
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom,
Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath
befallen us:
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15 |
How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have
dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our
fathers:
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16 |
And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice,
and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and,
behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
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17 |
Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass
through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of
the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not
turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy
borders.
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18 |
And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come
out against thee with the sword.
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19 |
And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high
way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for
it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
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20 |
And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out
against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
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21 |
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border:
wherefore Israel turned away from him.
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22 |
And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation,
journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
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23 |
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the
coast of the land of Edom, saying,
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24 |
Aaron shall be gathered unto
his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given
unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at
the water of Meribah.
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25 |
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount
Hor:
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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.
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27 |
And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount
Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
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28 |
And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon
Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and
Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
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29 |
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they
mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
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