11. Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
13. These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.
14. Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come on us.
15. Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors,
16. but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. “Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
17. Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”