The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Numbers 20

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Numbers chapter 20 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and…” — the complete text of all 29 verses is below, free to read online.

1And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

2And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

3And the people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying: 'Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before HaShem!

4And why have ye brought the assembly of HaShem into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle?

5And 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.'

6And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces; and the glory of HaShem appeared unto them.

7And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:

8'Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.'

9And Moses took the rod from before HaShem, as He commanded him.

10And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them: 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out of this rock?'

11And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

12And HaShem said unto Moses and Aaron: 'Because ye believed not in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'

13These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with HaShem, and He was sanctified in them.

14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom: 'Thus saith thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us;

15how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers;

16and when we cried unto HaShem, He heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt; and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border.

17Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land; we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king's highway, we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.'

18And Edom said unto him: 'Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.'

19And the children of Israel said unto him: 'We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof; let me only pass through on my feet; there is no hurt.'

20And he said: 'Thou shalt not pass through.' And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; wherefore Israel turned away from him.

22And they journeyed from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

23And HaShem spoke unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying:

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 waters of Meribah.

25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor.

26And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.'

27And Moses did as HaShem commanded; and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28And 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.

29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

29 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

‹ Numbers 19 Numbers 21 ›

Read, search & bookmark — free

This text opens instantly in the FourFaiths reader, with full-text search across every book, bookmarks saved in your browser, reading plans and a verse of the day. No account, no tracking — everything runs locally in your browser.

Open in the Tanakh reader →