The death of Mary the sister of Moses. The people murmur for want of water: God gives it them from the rock. The death of Aaron.

¹ And the sons of Israel, and the entire multitude, went into the desert of Sin, in the first month. And the people stayed at Kadesh. And Miriam died there, and she was buried in the same place.

² And when the people were in need of water, they came together against Moses and Aaron.

³ And as it turned into sedition, they said: “If only we had perished among our brothers in the sight of the Lord.

⁴ Why have you led away the Church of the Lord, into the wilderness, so that both we and our cattle would die?

⁵ Why did you cause us to ascend from Egypt, and why have you led us into this most wretched place, which is not able to be sown, which does not produce figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and which, moreover, does not even have water to drink?”

⁶ And Moses and Aaron, dismissing the multitude, entered the tabernacle of the covenant, and they fell prone on the ground, and they cried out to the Lord, and they said: “O Lord God, listen to the outcry of this people, and open for them, from your storehouse, a fountain of living water, so that, being satisfied, their murmuring may cease.” And the glory of the Lord appeared over them.

⁷ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

⁸ “Take the rod, and gather the people, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall bestow waters. And when you have brought forth water from the rock, the entire multitude and their cattle shall drink.”

⁹ Therefore, Moses took the rod, which was in the sight of the Lord, just as he had instructed him.

¹⁰ And having gathered the multitude before the rock, he said to them: “Listen, you who are rebellious and unbelieving. Would we be able to cast out water from this rock?”

¹¹ And when Moses had lifted up his hand, striking the stone twice with the rod, very great waters went forth, so much so that the people and their cattle were able to drink.¹

1. 20:11The rock: This rock was a figure of Christ, and the water that issued out from the rock, of his precious blood, the source of all our good.(Challoner)

¹² And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me, so as to sanctify me before the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this people into the land, which I will give to them.”¹

1. 20:12You have not believed, etc: The fault of Moses and Aaron, on this occasion, was a certain diffidence and weakness of faith; not doubting of God’s power or veracity; but apprehending the unworthiness of that rebellious and incredulous people, and therefore speaking with some ambiguity.(Challoner)

¹³ This is the Water of Contradiction, where the sons of Israel were quarreling against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.¹

1. 20:13The Water of contradiction: Or strife. Hebrew, Meribah.(Challoner)

¹⁴ Meanwhile, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. They said: “Your brother Israel says this: You know of all the hardships which have overtaken us,

¹⁵ how our fathers descended into Egypt, and we lived there for a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted both us and our fathers,

¹⁶ and how we cried out to the Lord, and he heeded us and sent an Angel, who led us away from Egypt. Behold, we are situated in the city of Kadesh, which is at the extremity of your borders.

¹⁷ And we beg you to permit us to cross through your land. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards; we will not drink the waters of your wells, but we will travel by the public ways, neither turning aside to the right, nor to the left, until we have passed your borders.”

¹⁸ Edom responded to them: “You shall not cross through me, otherwise, I will meet you armed.”

¹⁹ And the sons of Israel said: “We will travel by the well-trodden path. And if we or our cattle drink from your waters, we will give you what is just. There shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us cross through quickly.”

²⁰ But he answered, “You shall not cross.” And immediately he went out to meet them with a countless multitude and a strong hand;

²¹ neither was he willing to agree to their petition to concede passage through his borders. For this reason, Israel diverted away from him.

²² And when they had moved the camp from Kadesh, they arrived at mount Hor, which is at the borders of the land of Edom,

²³ where the Lord spoke to Moses:

²⁴ “Let Aaron,” he said, “go to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because he did not believe my mouth at the Waters of Contradiction.

²⁵ Take Aaron, and his son with him, and lead them on to mount Hor.

²⁶ And when you have stripped the father of his vestments, you shall put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron shall be gathered and shall die there.”

²⁷ Moses did just as the Lord had instructed. And they ascended mount Hor, in the sight of the entire multitude.

²⁸ And when he had despoiled Aaron of his vestments, he clothed his son Eleazar with them.

²⁹ And when Aaron had died at the top of the mountain, Moses came down with Eleazar.

³⁰ And the entire multitude, seeing that Aaron lay dead, wept over him for thirty days, throughout all their families.