20The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin ^pin the first month, and they ^qsettled in Kadesh. ^rMiriam ^sdied and was buried there.

²There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. ³The people quarreled with Moses and said, ^t“If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord. ^u⁴Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness ^vfor us and our livestock to die here? ^w⁵Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, ^xand there is no water to drink!”

⁶Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. ⁷The Lord spoke to Moses, ⁸“Take the staff ^yand assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock ^zwhile they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”

⁹So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence ^ajust as He had commanded him. ¹⁰Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” ¹¹Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. ^b

¹²But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” ^c¹³These are the waters of Meribah, ^d^ewhere the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and He showed His holiness to them. ^f

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Footnotes

q20:1 the people
d20:13 = quarreling

Cross references

p20:1 Nm 13:21; 27:14; 33:36; 34:3; Dt 32:51; Jos 15:1
r20:1 Nm 13:26; 27:14; 33:36–37; Dt 1:46; Jdg 11:16–17; Ps 29:8
s20:1 Ex 15:20–21; Nm 12:1; 26:59; Dt 24:9
t20:3 Ex 17:2
u20:3 Nm 16:31–35, 41–50
v20:4 Nm 11:11
w20:4 Gn 47:15, 19; Ex 14:11–12; Nm 21:5
x20:5 Ex 13:5; Nm 13:23–27; Dt 8:8
y20:8 Ex 4:2–5; 7:15, 17, 20; 17:4–9; Nm 17:8; 2Kg 4:31
z20:8 Gn 49:24; Ex 17:6; Dt 32:13–18; Neh 9:15; Jb 29:6; Ps 78:20; 81:16; 114:8
a20:9 Nm 17:10
b20:11 Ex 17:6; Ps 78:15; 1Co 10:4
c20:12 Nm 27:12–14; Dt 1:37; 3:26; 32:51
e20:13 Ex 17:7; Nm 27:14; Dt 32:51; Ps 95:8; 106:32
f20:13 Nm 27:14; Ezk 28:22; 38:23