Water from a Rock
1 The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.
2 The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron 3 and complained, “Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the Lord's sacred tent. 4 You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! 5 Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we don't even have any water.”
6 Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory 7-8 and said, “Moses, get your walking stick. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”
9 Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. 10 After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!” 11 He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”
13 The Israelites had complained against the Lord, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining.”
Israel Isn't Allowed To Go through Edom
14 Moses sent messengers from Israel's camp near Kadesh with this message for the king of Edom:
We are Israelites, your own relatives, and we're sure you have heard the terrible things that have happened to us. 15 Our ancestors settled in Egypt and lived there a long time. But later the Egyptians were cruel to us, 16 and when we begged our Lord for help, he answered our prayer and brought us out of that land.
Now we are camped at the border of your territory, near the town of Kadesh. 17 Please let us go through your country. We won't go near your fields or vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. We will stay on the main road until we leave your territory.
18 But the king of Edom answered, “No, I won't let you go through our country! And if you try, we will attack you.”
19 Moses sent back this message: “We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through.”
20 But the king insisted, “You can't go through our land!”
Then Edom sent out its strongest troops 21 to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.
Aaron Dies
22 After the Israelites had left Kadesh and had gone as far as Mount Hor 23 on the Edomite border, the Lord said, 24 “Aaron, this is where you will die. You and Moses disobeyed me at Meribah, and so you will not enter the land I promised the Israelites. 25 Moses, go with Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of the mountain. 26 Then take Aaron's priestly robe from him and place it on Eleazar. Aaron will die there.”
27 Moses obeyed, and everyone watched as he and Aaron and Eleazar walked to the top of Mount Hor. 28 Moses then took the priestly robe from Aaron and placed it on Eleazar. Aaron died there.
When Moses and Eleazar came down, 29 the people knew that Aaron had died, and they mourned his death for 30 days.
Merības ūdeņi
(2Moz 17:1–7)1 Pirmajā mēnesī visa Israēla dēlu sapulce nonāca Cīna tuksnesī un tauta apmetās Kādēšā. Mirjāma nomira un tur tika apglabāta. 2 Sapulcei nebija ūdens, un viņi sacēlās pret Mozu un Āronu. 3 Tauta strīdējās ar Mozu un teica: “Kaut mēs būtu iznīkuši tad, kad Kunga priekšā iznīka mūsu brāļi! 4 Kāpēc tu atvedi Kunga pulku uz šo tuksnesi, lai šeit nomirtu gan mēs, gan mūsu ganāmpulki?! 5 Kāpēc tu mūs aizvedi no Ēģiptes un atvedi mūs uz šo slikto vietu? Te nav kur sēt labību, nav ne vīģes koku, ne vīnakoku, ne granātābolu un nav ūdens, ko dzert!” 6 Tad Mozus un Ārons no sapulces aizgāja pie Saiešanas telts durvīm, krita uz sava vaiga, un tiem parādījās Kunga godība.
7 Un Kungs sacīja Mozum: 8 “Ņem spieķi, sasauc sapulci – tu un tavs brālis Ārons – un runājiet, tai redzot, uz klinti, tad tā dos ūdeni. Tā tu iegūsi viņiem ūdeni no klints un padzirdīsi visu sapulci un tās ganāmpulkus!” 9 Un Mozus ņēma spieķi, kas bija stāvējis Kunga priekšā, kā Kungs bija pavēlējis. 10 Un Mozus un Ārons sapulcināja visu sapulci klints priekšā un teica tiem: “Klausieties nu, jūs dumpinieki! Vai lai no šīs klints mēs jums iegūstam ūdeni?!” 11 Tad Mozus pacēla roku un divas reizes sita pa klinti ar savu spieķi, un izplūda daudz ūdens, un dzēra visa sapulce un tās ganāmpulki.
12 Un Kungs sacīja Mozum un Āronam: “Tādēļ ka jūs man neticējāt, neatklājāt manu svētumu, Israēla dēliem redzot, jūs neaizvedīsiet šo pulku uz zemi, ko es tiem esmu devis!” 13 Šie ir Merības ūdeņi, kur Israēla dēli strīdējās ar Kungu, bet viņš tiem atklājās svēts.
Edomieši liedz šķērsot savas robežas
14 No Kādēšas Mozus sūtīja vēstnešus pie Edoma ķēniņa: “Tā saka tavs brālis Israēls: tu zini visas nelaimes, kas mums notikušas, – 15 kā mūsu tēvi aizgāja uz Ēģipti un mēs mitām Ēģiptē ilgu laiku, un ēģiptieši darīja ļaunu mums un mūsu tēviem, 16 un mēs brēcām uz Kungu, un viņš mūs sadzirdēja un sūtīja eņģeli, un izveda mūs no Ēģiptes, un, redzi, mēs esam Kādēšā, pilsētā, kas ir blakus tavām robežām. 17 Ļauj mums iziet cauri tavai zemei – mēs neiesim cauri laukiem vai vīnadārziem, mēs nedzersim ūdeni no akām, mēs iesim pa ķēniņa ceļu, mēs nenogriezīsimies ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi, kamēr nebūsim izgājuši cauri tavām robežām.” 18 Bet Edoms viņam teica: “Tu neiesi cauri manām robežām! Citādi ar zobenu nākšu tev pretī!” 19 Un Israēla dēli viņam teica: “Mēs iesim tikai pa ceļu, un, ja es vai mans ganāmpulks dzers tavu ūdeni, mēs par to samaksāsim – kāda runa! – mēs tikai iziesim cauri!” 20 Taču viņš teica: “Tu neiesi cauri!” – un Edoms iznāca viņiem pretī ar daudz ļaudīm un lielu pārspēku. 21 Edoms liedza Israēlam iziet cauri savām robežām, un Israēls nogriezās pa citu ceļu.
Ārona nāve
22 Israēla dēli aizgāja no Kādēšas, un visa sapulce nonāca pie Hora kalna. 23 Un Kungs sacīja Mozum un Āronam Hora kalnā pie Edoma zemes robežām: 24 “Lai Ārons tiek piepulcināts savai tautai, jo viņš neieies tajā zemē, ko es dodu Israēla dēliem, tādēļ ka jūs dumpojāt pret mani pie Merības ūdeņiem! 25 Ņem Āronu un viņa dēlu Elāzāru un uzved tos Hora kalnā. 26 Noģērb Āronam drānas un uzģērb tās viņa dēlam Elāzāram, bet Ārons lai tiek piepulcināts un nomirst tur!” 27 Un Mozus darīja, kā Kungs pavēlēja, un, visai sapulcei redzot, viņi uzkāpa Hora kalnā. 28 Mozus novilka Āronam drānas un ietērpa tajās viņa dēlu Elāzāru, un Ārons nomira tur kalna galā. Pēc tam Mozus un Elāzārs nokāpa no kalna. 29 Visa sapulce redzēja, ka Ārons ir nomiris, un viss Israēla nams apraudāja Āronu trīsdesmit dienas.
