Spirit Nation

The Holy Bible - God's Word for All Generations

Home > Numbers > Chapter 20

Numbers Chapter 20

Other Translations

asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM

1 And Moses laid up the rods before Jehovah in the tent of the testimony.
2 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bare ripe almonds.
3 And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
4 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that thou mayest make an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.
5 Thus did Moses: as Jehovah commanded him, so did he.
6 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
7 Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of Jehovah, dieth: shall we perish all of us?
8 And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers’ house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
9 And thy brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall be before the tent of the testimony.
10 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the Tent: only they shall not come nigh unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor ye.
11 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
12 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel.
13 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
14 And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and ye shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
15 And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, And I, behold, I have given thee the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, as a portion for ever.
16 This shall be thine of the most holy things,
17 reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every trespass-offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
18 As the most holy things shalt thou eat thereof; every male shall eat thereof: it shall be holy unto thee.
19 And this is thine: the heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof.
20 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give unto Jehovah, to thee have I given them.
21 The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring unto Jehovah, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof.
22 Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine.
23 Everything that openeth the womb, of all flesh which they offer unto Jehovah, both of man and beast shall be thine: nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
24 And those that are to be redeemed of them from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).
25 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
26 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be thine.
27 All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto Jehovah, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before Jehovah unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
28 And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any portion among them: I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
29 And unto the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And the children of Israel, the whole assembly, came into the wilderness of Zin, in the first month; and the people abode at Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2 And there was no water for the assembly, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3 And the people contended with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!
4 And why have ye brought the congregation of Jehovah into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts?
5 And why have ye made us to go up out of Egypt, to bring us to 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.
6 And Moses and Aaron went from before the congregation to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces; and the glory of Jehovah appeared to them.
7 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
8 Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, and shalt give the assembly and their beasts drink.
9 And Moses took the staff from before Jehovah, as he had commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, ye rebels: shall we bring forth to you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his staff smote the rock twice, and much water came out, and the assembly drank, and their beasts.
12 And Jehovah said to Moses and to Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to hallow me before the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land that I have given them.
13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel contended with Jehovah, and he hallowed himself in them.
14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus says thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the trouble that hath befallen us,
15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians evil entreated us and our fathers;
16 and when we cried to Jehovah, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt; and behold, we are at Kadesh, a city at the extremity of thy border.
17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country; we will not pass through fields, or through vineyards, neither will we drink water out of the wells: we will go by the king's road; we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border.
18 But Edom said to him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
19 And the children of Israel said to him, We will go by the high way; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then I will pay for it: I will only, without anything else, go through on my feet.
20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; and Israel turned away from him.
22 And they removed from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, the whole assembly, came to mount Hor.
23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his peoples; for he shall not enter into the land that I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my commandment at the waters of Meribah.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor,
26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered [to his peoples], and shall die there.
27 And Moses did as Jehovah had commanded, and they went up mount Hor before the eyes of the whole assembly.
28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there upon the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29 And the whole assembly saw that Aaron was dead, and they mourned for Aaron thirty days, [even] the whole house of Israel.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there, and was buried there.
2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.
3 And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our brethren before the Lord!
4 And wherefore have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?
5 And wherefore [is] this? Ye have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there water to drink.
6 And Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of witness, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
8 Take thy rod, and call the assembly, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye to the rock before them, and it shall give forth its waters; and ye shall bring forth for them water out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.
9 And Moses took his rod which was before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.
10 And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock, and said to them, Hear me, ye disobedient ones; must we bring you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and much water came forth, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.
12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not believed me to sanctify me before the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13 This is the water of Strife, because the children of Israel spoke insolently before the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
14 And Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, saying, Thus says thy brother Israel; Thou knowest all the distress that has come upon us.
15 And [how] our fathers went down into Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.
16 And we cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt; and now we are in the city of Cades, at the extremity of thy coasts.
17 We will pass through thy land: we will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink water out of thy cistern: we will go by the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
18 And Edom said to him, Thou shalt not pass through me, and if otherwise, I will go forth to meet thee in war.
19 And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, I will pay thee: but it is no matter of importance, we will go by the mountain.
20 And he said, Thou shalt not pass through me; and Edom went forth to meet him with a great host, and a mighty hand.
21 So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Israel turned away from him.
22 And they departed from Cades; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Or.
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Or, on the borders of the land of Edom, saying,
24 Let Aaron be added to his people; for ye shall certainly not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because ye provoked me at the water of strife.
25 Take Aaron, and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to the mount Or before all the congregation;
26 and take Aaron's apparel from off him, and put it on Eleazar his son: and let Aaron die there and be added to [his people].
27 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and took him up to mount Or, before all the congregation.
28 And he took Aaron's garments off him, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29 And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead: and they wept for Aaron thirty days, [even] all the house of Israel.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Veneruntque filii Israel, et omnis multitudo in desertum Sin, mense primo: et mansit populus in Cades. Mortuaque est ibi Maria, et sepulta in eodem loco.
2 Cumque indigeret aqua populus, convenerunt adversum Moysen et Aaron:
3 et versi in seditionem, dixerunt: Utinam periissemus inter fratres nostros coram Domino.
4 Cur eduxistis Ecclesiam Domini in solitudinem, ut et nos et nostra iumenta moriamur?
5 Quare nos fecistis ascendere de Ægypto, et adduxistis in locum istum pessimum, qui seri non potest, qui nec ficum gignit, nec vineas, nec malogranata, insuper et aquam non habet ad bibendum?
6 Ingressusque Moyses et Aaron, dimissa multitudine, tabernaculum fœderis, corruerunt proni in terram, clamaveruntque ad Dominum, atque dixerunt: Domine Deus audi clamorem huius populi, et aperi eis thesaurum tuum fontem aquæ vivæ, ut satiati, cesset murmuratio eorum. Et apparuit gloria Domini super eos.
7 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
8 Tolle virgam, et congrega populum, tu et Aaron frater tuus, et loquimini ad petram coram eis, et illa dabit aquas. Cumque eduxeris aquam de petra, bibet omnis multitudo et iumenta eius.
9 Tulit igitur Moyses virgam, quæ erat in conspectu Domini, sicut præceperat ei,
10 congregata multitudine ante petram, dixitque eis: Audite rebelles et increduli: Num de petra hac vobis aquam poterimus eiicere?
11 Cumque elevasset Moyses manum, percutiens virga bis silicem, egressæ sunt aquæ largissimæ, ita ut populus biberet et iumenta.
12 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron: Quia non credidistis mihi, ut sanctificaretis me coram filiis Israel, non introducetis hos populos in terram, quam dabo eis.
13 Hæc est aqua contradictionis, ubi iurgati sunt filii Israel contra Dominum, et sanctificatus est in eis.
14 Misit interea nuncios Moyses de Cades ad regem Edom, qui dicerent: Hæc mandat frater tuus Israel: Nosti omnem laborem qui apprehendit nos,
15 quo modo descenderint patres nostri in Ægyptum, et habitaverimus ibi multo tempore, afflixerintque nos Ægyptii, et patres nostros:
16 et quo modo clamaverimus ad Dominum, et exaudierit nos, miseritque angelum, qui eduxerit nos de Ægypto. Ecce in urbe Cades, quæ est in extremis finibus tuis, positi,
17 obsecramus ut nobis transire liceat per terram tuam. Non ibimus per agros, nec per vineas, non bibemus aquas de puteis tuis, sed gradiemur via publica, nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram declinantes, donec transeamus terminos tuos.
18 Cui respondit Edom: Non transibis per me, alioquin armatus occurram tibi.
19 Dixeruntque filii Israel: Per tritam gradiemur viam: et si biberimus aquas tuas nos et pecora nostra, dabimus quod iustum est: nulla erit in pretio difficultas, tantum velociter transeamus.
20 At ille respondit: Non transibis. Statimque egressus est obvius, cum infinita multitudo, et manu forti,
21 nec voluit acquiescere deprecanti, ut concederet transitum per fines suos. quam ob rem divertit ab eo Israel.
22 Cumque castra movissent de Cades, venerunt in montem Hor, qui est in finibus terræ Edom:
23 ubi locutus est Dominus ad Moysen:
24 Pergat, inquit, Aaron ad populos suos: non enim intrabit Terram, quam dedi filiis Israel, eo quod incredulus fuerit ori meo, ad Aquas contradictionis.
25 Tolle Aaron et filium eius cum eo, et duces eos in montem Hor.
26 Cumque nudaveris patrem veste sua, indues ea Eleazarum filium eius: Aaron colligetur, et morietur ibi.
27 Fecit Moyses ut præceperat Dominus: et ascenderunt in montem Hor coram omni multitudine.
28 Cumque Aaron spoliasset vestibus suis, induit eis Eleazarum filium eius.
29 Illo mortuo in montis supercilio, descendit cum Eleazaro.
30 Omnis autem multitudo videns occubuisse Aaron, flevit super eo triginta diebus per cunctas familias suas.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2 There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3 The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!
4 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
5 Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to 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.”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them.
7 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”
9 Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”
11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.
12 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us;
15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.
16 When we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.
17 “Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”
18 Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”
19 The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”
20 He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.
21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.
22 They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
23 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24 “Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;
26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”
27 Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And the sons of Israel come in, --all the company--to the wilderness of Zin, in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh, and Miriam dieth there, and is buried there.
2 And there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron,
3 and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, `And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!
4 and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts?
5 and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink.
6 And Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and fall on their faces, and the honour of Jehovah is seen by them.
7 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
8 `Take the rod, and assemble the company, thou and Aaron thy brother; and ye have spoken unto the rock before their eyes, and it hath given its water, and thou hast brought out to them water from the rock, and hast watered the company, and their beasts.'
9 And Moses taketh the rod from before Jehovah, as He hath commanded him,
10 and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly unto the front of the rock, and he saith to them, `Hear, I pray you, O rebels, from this rock do we bring out to you water?'
11 and Moses lifteth up his hand, and smiteth the rock with his rod twice; and much water cometh out, and the company drink, also their beasts.
12 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, `Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.'
13 These <FI>are<Fi> waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have `striven' with Jehovah, and He is sanctified upon them.
14 And Moses sendeth messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, `Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou--thou hast known all the travail which hath found us;
15 that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers;
16 and we cry unto Jehovah, and He heareth our voice, and sendeth a messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and lo, we <FI>are<Fi> in Kadesh, a city <FI>in<Fi> the extremity of thy border.
17 Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land; we pass not over through a field, or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; the way of the king we go, we turn not aside--right or left--till that we pass over thy border.'
18 And Edom saith unto him, `Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.'
19 And the sons of Israel say unto him, `In the highway we go, and if of thy waters we drink--I and my cattle--then I have given their price; only (it is nothing) on my feet I pass over.'
20 And he saith, `Thou dost not pass over;' and Edom cometh out to meet him with much people, and with a strong hand;
21 and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.
22 And the sons of Israel, the whole company, journey from Kadesh, and come in unto mount Hor,
23 and Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24 `Aaron is gathered unto his people, for he doth not go in unto the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that ye provoked My mouth at the waters of Meribah.
25 `Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and cause them to go up mount Hor,
26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and thou hast clothed <FI>with<Fi> them Eleazar his son, and Aaron is gathered, and doth die there.'
27 And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded, and they go up unto mount Hor before the eyes of all the company,
28 and Moses strippeth Aaron of his garments, and clotheth with them Eleazar his son, and Aaron dieth there on the top of the mount; and Moses cometh down--Eleazar also--from the mount,
29 and all the company see that Aaron hath expired, and they bewail Aaron thirty days--all the house of Israel.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).