Water from a Rock
1 The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.
2 The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron 3 and complained, “Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the Lord's sacred tent. 4 You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! 5 Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we don't even have any water.”
6 Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory 7-8 and said, “Moses, get your walking stick. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”
9 Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. 10 After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!” 11 He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”
13 The Israelites had complained against the Lord, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining.”
Israel Isn't Allowed To Go through Edom
14 Moses sent messengers from Israel's camp near Kadesh with this message for the king of Edom:
We are Israelites, your own relatives, and we're sure you have heard the terrible things that have happened to us. 15 Our ancestors settled in Egypt and lived there a long time. But later the Egyptians were cruel to us, 16 and when we begged our Lord for help, he answered our prayer and brought us out of that land.
Now we are camped at the border of your territory, near the town of Kadesh. 17 Please let us go through your country. We won't go near your fields or vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. We will stay on the main road until we leave your territory.
18 But the king of Edom answered, “No, I won't let you go through our country! And if you try, we will attack you.”
19 Moses sent back this message: “We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through.”
20 But the king insisted, “You can't go through our land!”
Then Edom sent out its strongest troops 21 to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.
Aaron Dies
22 After the Israelites had left Kadesh and had gone as far as Mount Hor 23 on the Edomite border, the Lord said, 24 “Aaron, this is where you will die. You and Moses disobeyed me at Meribah, and so you will not enter the land I promised the Israelites. 25 Moses, go with Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of the mountain. 26 Then take Aaron's priestly robe from him and place it on Eleazar. Aaron will die there.”
27 Moses obeyed, and everyone watched as he and Aaron and Eleazar walked to the top of Mount Hor. 28 Moses then took the priestly robe from Aaron and placed it on Eleazar. Aaron died there.
When Moses and Eleazar came down, 29 the people knew that Aaron had died, and they mourned his death for 30 days.
Iiningwanima muKadesh
(Eks. 17:1-7)1 Momwedhi gwotango egongalo alihe lyAaisraeli olye ya mombuga Zin e tali yungu ontanda muKadesh. Miriam okwa mana oondjenda e ta fumvikwa.
2 Mpoka ya yungu ontanda, kapwa li omeya, aantu noya gongalele Moses naAaron 3 noya tamanana ya ti: “Akutu, osha li oshihwepo, ando twa sile komeho getsalihangano pamwe nooyakwetu, sho ya yonukile po koshipala shOmuwa. 4 Omolwashike mwe tu etele mombuga muno? Otu sile mo niimuna yetu? 5 Omolwashike mwe tu tembudha mo muEgipiti mu tu ete meha ndino ewiwiwiwi noihamu mene nando osha? Mwaa na iilya nomwaa na oonkwiyu, mwaa na omandjembele nomwaa na oondunga dhomigranati. Nokuli kamu na omeya gokunwa!” 6 Moses naAaron oya zi mokati kaantu e taa thikama posheelo shetsalihangano. Oya tsu iipala yawo mevi, neadhimo lyOmuwa olye ya adhimine.
7 Omuwa okwa lombwele Moses e ta ti: 8 “Kutha ondhimbo, ithana omumwanyoko Aaron e tamu gongaleke egongalo alihe. Montaneho yalyo alihe lombwela emanya, nomeya otaga tsipuka mo. Pahedhi ndjika oto kutha omeya memanya ga nuwe kaantu nokiimuna.” 9 Moses okwa yi nokwa kutha ondhimbo, ngaashi Omuwa e mu lombwele.
10 Pamwe naAaron oya gongaleke egongalo alihe pemanya, naMoses okwa ti: “Pulakeneni, ne aatangalali! Natu mu kuthile omeya memanya ndika?” 11 Moses okwa yelutha ondhimbo e ta dhenge nayo emanya lwaali, nomwa tsipuka omeya ogendji, aantu niimuna noya nu mo.
12 Omuwa okwa ganda Moses naAaron e ta ti: “Molwaashoka ne kamu na eitaalo lya gwana okwiinekela oonkondo dhandje montaneho yAaisraeli, itamu ya fala we mevi ndyoka nde ya uvanekele tandi li ya pe.”
13 Shika osha ningwa puMeriba, mpoka Aaisraeli ya tamaneke Omuwa naampoka i iholola kuyo kutya oye omuyapuki.
Edom ta tindi Israel a pite po
14 MuKadesh Moses okwa tumu aatumwa ya ye komukwaniilwa gwaEdom taa ti: “Elaka ndika olya zi kaakweni, omazimo gaIsrael. Owa tseya nkene twa talithwa omalwa, 15 sho ootatekulu ya yi kuEgipiti, nkoka twa kala omimvo odhindji. Aegipiti oya hepeke ootatekulu noonkondo, 16 otse notwa kugile Omuwa ekwatho. Oku uvu onkugo yetu e ta tumu omuyengeli, ngoka e tu tembudha muEgipiti. Ngashingeyi otu li muKadesh, oshilando shi li pongamba yoshilongo shoye. 17 Tu kwatha, u tu pitikile tu tokole oshilongo shoye. Otse niimuna yetu itatu zi mo mondjila tu ye momapya goye nenge miitsambe yomiviinu dhoye, noitatu nu momithima dhoye. Otatu kala mondjila, sigo twa pitilile oshilongo shoye.”
18 Ihe omukwaniilwa gwaEdom okwa yamukula a ti: “Itamu pitikwa okutokola oshilongo shandje! Ngele tamu shi yelekele, otatu ya tu mu tsakaneke tu na egongamwele.”
19 Aaisraeli oya ti: “Otatu kala mondjila, nongele tatu nu omeya geni nenge iimuna yetu tayi ga nu, otatu futu. Otwa hala owala tu pite mo.”
20 Omukwaniilwa gwaEdom okwe ya yamukula a ti: “Aawe, ndati!” Aaedom oya piti mo ya homata noya ponokele Aaisraeli. 21 Molwaashoka Aaedom inaa pitika Aaisraeli ya tokole oshilongo shawo, Aaisraeli oya shuna e taa yi nondjila yilwe.
Eso lyaAaron
22 Egongalo alihe lyAaisraeli olya zi muKadesh e tali thiki pondundu Hor, 23 pongamba yaEdom. Oko Omuwa a lombwele Moses naAaron a ti: 24 “Aaron ita yi mevi ndyoka ndu uvaneke tandi li pe Israel; ota si, oshoka ne yaali omwa tindi oshipango shandje puMeriba. 25 Kutha Aaron nomwana Eleasar, mu londe kondundu Hor, 26 naankoka to hula Aaron oonguwo dhe dhuuyambi e to dhi zaleke Eleasar. Aaron ota ka sila ko.” 27 Moses okwa ningi, ngaashi Omuwa e mu lombwele. Oya londo kondundu Hor montaneho yegongalo alihe, 28 naMoses okwa hula Aaron oonguwo dhuuyambi e te dhi zaleke Eleasar. Aaron nokwa sile kondungu yondundu, Moses naEleasar oya galuka ko ya kulukile pohi. 29 Egongalo alihe olya koneke kutya Aaron a mana oondjenda, olyo nolye mu lili oosa omasiku omilongo ndatu.
