12. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. [Ps. 106:32, 33.]
13. These are the waters of Meribah [strife], where the Israelites contended with the Lord and He showed Himself holy among them.
14. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your kinsman Israel: You know all the adversity and birth pangs that have come upon us [as a nation]:
15. How our fathers went down to Egypt; we dwelt there a long time, and the Egyptians dealt evilly with us and our fathers.
16. But when we cried to the Lord, He heard us and sent an angel and brought us forth out of Egypt. Now behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on your country's edge.
17. Let us pass, I pray you, through your country. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink of the water of the wells. We will go along the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your borders.
18. But Edom said to him, You shall not go through, lest I come out against you with the sword.
19. And the Israelites said to him, We will go by the highway, and if I and my livestock drink of your water, I will pay for it. Only let me pass through on foot, nothing else.
20. But Edom said, You shall not go through. And Edom came out against Israel with many people and a strong hand.
21. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.
22. They journeyed from Kadesh, and the Israelites, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.