Why did you bring us from Egypt? Why did you bring us to this bad place? There is no grain. There are no figs, grapes, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink."
So Moses and Aaron left the crowd of people and went to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. They bowed down to the ground, and the Glory of the Lord appeared to them.
"Get the special walking stick. Take your brother Aaron and the crowd of people and go to that rock. Speak to the rock in front of the people. Then water will flow from the rock, and you can give that water to the people and to their animals."
Moses and Aaron told the people to meet together in front of the rock. Then Moses said, "You people are always complaining. Now listen to me. I will cause water to flow from this rock."
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "You did not trust me enough to honor me and show the people that I am holy. You did not show the Israelites that the power to make the water came from me. So you will not lead the people into the land that I have given them."
While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent some men with a message to the king of Edom. The message said: "Your brothers, the Israelites, say to you: You know about all the troubles that we have had.
But we asked the Lord for help, and he heard us and sent an angel to help us. The Lord has brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, where your land begins.
Please let us travel through your country. We will not travel through any fields or vineyards. We will not drink water from any of your wells. We will travel only along the King's Road. We will not leave that road to the right or to the left. We will stay on the road until we have traveled through your country."
The Israelites answered, "We will travel along the main road. If our animals drink any of your water, we will pay you for it. We only want to walk through your country. We don't want to take it for ourselves."
But again the king of Edom answered, "We will not allow you to come through our country." Then the king of Edom gathered a large and powerful army and went out to fight against the Israelites.
"It is time for Aaron to die and go to be with his ancestors. Aaron will not enter the land that I promised to the Israelites. Moses, I say this to you because both you and Aaron did not fully obey the command I gave you at the waters of Meribah.
Take Aaron's special clothes from him and put these clothes on his son Eleazar. Aaron will die there on the mountain. And he will go to be with his ancestors."
Moses removed Aaron's special clothes and put them on Aaron's son Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Moses and Eleazar came back down the mountain.