1. And the children of Yisra’ĕl, all the congregation, came into the Wilderness of Tsin in the first month, and the people stayed in Qaḏĕsh. And Miryam died there and was buried there.
2. Now there was no water for the congregation and they assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon.
3. And the people contended with Mosheh and spoke, saying, “If only we had died when our brothers died before יהוה!
4. “Why have you brought up the assembly of יהוה into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?
5. “And why have you brought us up out of Mitsrayim, to bring us to this evil place? – not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”
6. Then Mosheh and Aharon went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the esteem of יהוה appeared to them.
7. And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
8. “Take the rod and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aharon. And you shall speak to the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water. And you shall bring water for them out of the rock and give drink to the congregation and their livestock.”
9. And Mosheh took the rod from before יהוה as He commanded him.
10. And Mosheh and Aharon assembled the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”
11. Then Mosheh lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. And much water came out, and the congregation and their livestock drank.
12. But יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, “Because you did not believe Me, to set Me apart in the eyes of the children of Yisra’ĕl, therefore you do not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
13. These were the waters of Meriḇah, because the children of Yisra’ĕl contended with יהוה, and He was set apart among them.
14. And Mosheh sent messengers from Qaḏĕsh to the sovereign of Eḏom. “This is what your brother Yisra’ĕl said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us,
15. that our fathers went down to Mitsrayim, and we dwelt in Mitsrayim a long time, and the Mitsrites did evil to us and our fathers.
16. ‘And we cried out to יהוה, and He heard our voice and sent the Messenger and brought us up out of Mitsrayim. And see, we are in Qaḏĕsh, a city on the edge of your border.