Numbers 20:1-13

Expanded Bible

Moses Disobeys God

20 In the first month all the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel, the community [congregation; assembly] arrived at the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam [^CMoses’ sister; Ex. 15:20–21; Num. 12:1–13] died and was buried. ² There was no water for the ·people [community; congregation; assembly], so they ·came together [assembled] against Moses and Aaron. ³ They ·argued with [contended with; brought a case against] Moses and said, “We should have died in front of the Lord as our brothers did. ⁴ Why did you bring the Lord’s ·people [community; congregation; assembly] into this ·desert [wilderness]? Are we and our animals to die here? ⁵ Why did you bring us from Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain, figs, grapevines, or pomegranates, and there’s no water to drink!”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron left the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] and went to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. There they ·bowed facedown [^Lfell on their faces], and the glory of the Lord [^Chis manifest presence] appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take your ·walking stick [staff], and you and your brother Aaron should gather the ·people [community; congregation; assembly]. Speak to that rock in front of them so that its water will flow from it. When you bring the water out from that rock, give it to the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] and their animals.”

⁹ So Moses took the ·stick [staff] from in front of the Lord, as he had said. ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron ·gathered [assembled] the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] in front of the rock, and Moses said, “Now listen to me, you ·who turn against God [^Lrebels]! Do you want us [^Crather than God] to bring water out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses lifted his hand and hit the rock twice with his ·stick [staff; ^Che was supposed to speak to it, 20:8]. Water began pouring out, and the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] and their animals drank it.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not ·believe [trust] me, and because you did not ·honor me as holy [show my holiness] before the ·people [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel], you will not lead ·them [^Lthis community; congregation; assembly] into the land I will give them [20:22–29; Deut. 34:1–12].”

¹³ These are the waters of Meribah [^C“Argument”], where the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] ·argued with [contended with; brought a case against] the Lord and where he showed them he was holy.