Numbers 20 :: Bible in Basic English (BBE)

Death of Miriam

(Exo 17:1–7 )

Num 20:1In the first month all the children of Israel came into the waste land of Zin, and put up their tents in Kadesh; there death came to Miriam, and they put her body to rest in the earth.

Num 20:2

Num 20:2And there was no water for the people: and they came together against Moses and against Aaron.

Num 20:3

Num 20:3And the people were angry with Moses and said, If only death had overtaken us when our brothers came to their death before the Lord!

Num 20:4

Num 20:4Why have you taken the Lord's people into this waste, for death to come to us and to our cattle there?

Num 20:5

Num 20:5Why have you made us come out of Egypt into this evil place? This is no place of seed or figs or vines or other fruits, and there is no water for drinking.

Num 20:6

Num 20:6Then Moses and Aaron went away from the people to the door of the Tent of meeting; and, falling on their faces there, they saw the glory of the Lord.

Num 20:7

Num 20:7And the Lord said to Moses,

The Water of Meribah

Num 20:8

Num 20:8Take the rod, you and Aaron, your brother, and make all the people come together, and before their eyes give orders to the rock to give out its water; and so make water come out of the rock for them, and give the people and their cattle drink.

Num 20:9

Num 20:9And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he gave him orders.

Num 20:10

Num 20:10Then Moses and Aaron made the people come together in front of the rock, and he said to them, Give ear now, you people whose hearts are turned from the Lord; are we to get water for you out of the rock?

Num 20:11

Num 20:11And lifting up his hand, Moses gave the rock two blows with his rod: and water came streaming out, and the people and their cattle had drink enough.

Num 20:12

Num 20:12Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you had not enough faith in me to keep my name holy before the children of Israel, you will not take this people into the land which I have given them.

Num 20:13

Num 20:13These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel went against the Lord, and they saw that he was holy among them.

Num 20:14

Num 20:14Then Moses sent men from Kadesh to the king of Edom to say to him, Your brother Israel says, You have knowledge of all the things we have been through;

Num 20:15

Num 20:15How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we were living in Egypt for a long time; and the Egyptians were cruel to us and to our fathers:

Num 20:16

Num 20:16And the Lord gave ear to the voice of our cry, and sent an angel and took us out of Egypt: and now we are in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your land;

Num 20:17

Num 20:17Let us now go through your land: we will not go into field or vine-garden, or take the water of the springs; we will go by the highway, not turning to the right or to the left, till we have gone past the limits of your land.

Num 20:18

Num 20:18And Edom said, You are not to go through my land, for if you do I will come out against you with the sword.

Num 20:19

Num 20:19And the children of Israel said to him, We will go up by the highway: and if we or our cattle take of your water, we will give you a price for it: only let us go through on our feet, nothing more.

Num 20:20

Num 20:20But he said, You are not to go through. And Edom came out against them in his strength, with a great army.

Num 20:21

Num 20:21So Edom would not let Israel go through his land; and Israel went in another direction.

Num 20:22

Num 20:22And they went on from Kadesh, and came, with all their people, to Mount Hor.

Death of Aaron

Num 20:23

Num 20:23And at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

Num 20:24

Num 20:24Aaron will be put to rest with his people; he will not go into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you went against my word at the waters of Meribah.

Num 20:25

Num 20:25So take Aaron and Eleazar, his son, up into Mount Hor;

Num 20:26

Num 20:26And take Aaron's robes off him and put them on Eleazar, his son: and death will come to Aaron there, and he will be put to rest with his people.

Num 20:27

Num 20:27So Moses did as the Lord had said, and before the eyes of all the people they went up Mount Hor.

Num 20:28

Num 20:28And Moses took off Aaron's robes, and put them on Eleazar, his son; and there on the top of the mountain death came to Aaron: then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

Num 20:29

Num 20:29And when the people saw that Aaron was dead, all the children of Israel gave themselves up to weeping for him for thirty days.

The Bible in Basic English was translated by Professor Samuel Henry Hooke (1874-1968)
This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

Pericope

Numbers Chapter 20 — Additional Translations: