Water from the Rock at Meribah

In the first month of the fortieth year, the whole congregation came to the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.

There was no water for the congregation. The people gathered against Moses and Aaron and argued with them. They complained that they had been brought out of Egypt to die in a place without grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates, and without water to drink.

Moses and Aaron left the assembly and went to the entrance of the tent of meeting. They fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord spoke to Moses: take the staff, gather the congregation, and speak to the rock before their eyes. It would yield its water.

Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he was commanded, and gathered the people before the rock. But he spoke to them instead. He said, “Listen, you rebels. Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” Then he raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff. Water came out in abundance, and the people and their livestock drank.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to uphold my holiness before the people of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” The place was called Meribah, because the people quarreled there, and the Lord showed his holiness among them.

From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom. He recounted Israel’s history and asked for passage through the land, promising not to use fields, vineyards, or wells, and to stay on the main road. Edom refused and threatened them with force. Israel offered to pay for any water they used, but Edom would not allow them through and came out with a strong force. Israel turned away and did not fight.

The people traveled from Kadesh to Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. There the Lord told Moses and Aaron that Aaron would not enter the land because of what happened at Meribah. Moses took Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor in view of the whole congregation. He removed Aaron’s garments and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died on the mountain. Moses and Eleazar came down, and the whole house of Israel mourned for Aaron for thirty days.