Moses slår på klippen i modstrid med Herrens befaling
1Det var i årets første måned,[1] at Israels folk nåede frem til Zins ørken. Mens de lå i lejr ved Kadesh, døde Mirjam og blev begravet.2-3Der var næsten ingen vand på stedet, og derfor begyndte folket igen at klage til Moses og Aron. „Gid vi var døde, dengang Herren slog en masse israelitter ihjel,” jamrede de.4„Hvorfor har I ført os ud i den her ørken? Var det bare, for at vi og vores dyr skulle dø?5Hvorfor overtalte I os til at forlade Egypten for at føre os ud til det her gudsforladte sted? Hvad er der blevet af det frugtbare land med korn, figner, druer og granatæbler, som I lovede os? Vi er ved at dø af tørst.”6Da forlod Moses og Aron forsamlingen og gik hen til åbenbaringsteltets indgang, hvor de bøjede sig i støvet for Herren, og Herrens herlighed viste sig for dem.7-8„Tag Arons stav og kald folket sammen,” sagde Herren til Moses. „Mens de alle ser på det, skal du tale til klippen og befale den at give vand. Så vil der strømme vand ud fra klippen, og der bliver rigeligt til både folket og dyrene.”9Moses gjorde, som Herren havde sagt, og hentede staven fra dens plads foran pagtens ark.10Så kaldte han og Aron folket sammen rundt om klippen. „Se her, I oprørske mennesker!” råbte Moses. „Tror I, vi kan skaffe vand til jer fra denne klippe?”11Så løftede han staven og slog to gange på klippen, og vandet strømmede ud, så folket og dyrene kunne drikke, så meget de ville.12Men Herren sagde til Moses og Aron: „I havde åbenbart ikke tro nok til at gøre, nøjagtig som jeg sagde, og I tog tilmed selv æren over for folket. Jeg er en hellig Gud, som skal adlydes. Nu får I ikke æren af at føre folket ind i det land, jeg har lovet dem.”13Man kaldte stedet Meribas[2] vand, for her satte Israels folk sig igen op imod Herren, og her viste han dem, at man bliver straffet for at sætte sig op mod den hellige Gud. (2.Mos 17,7)
Israelitterne får ikke lov at rejse gennem Edoms land
14Mens de opholdt sig ved Kadesh, sendte Moses bud til Edoms[3] konge. Budskabet lød: „Dit broderfolk, israelitterne, sender hilsen. Du har hørt om alle de strabadser, vi har været igennem,15siden vores forfædre kom til Egypten og slog sig ned i landet, hvor de blev gjort til slaver.16Men i vores nød råbte vi til Herren, og han sendte sin engel for at befri os fra slaveriet i Egypten. For øjeblikket befinder vi os ved Kadesh ved grænsen til jeres land,17og vi beder om tilladelse til at rejse gennem landet. Vi skal nok gå uden om jeres marker og vingårde—ikke engang jeres brønde vil vi tage vand af. Vi lover at holde os til Kongevejen[4] og ikke gå til nogen af siderne, så længe vi er i jeres land.”18Men Edoms konge svarede: „Hold jer væk fra mit land, ellers sender jeg hæren imod jer.”19„Jamen, vi lover at holde os til landevejen,” protesterede de israelitiske sendebud. „Vi lover også, at hvis nogen af os eller vores kvæg kommer til at drikke af jeres vand, betaler vi for det. Vi ønsker ikke at være til ulejlighed, men vil bare gerne have lov til at rejse igennem jeres land.”20Men Edoms konge var ubøjelig. „I får ikke lov at rejse igennem mit land,” gentog han og gav befaling om at mobilisere hæren til at holde vagt ved grænsen.21-22Det blev afslutningen på den diskussion: Edomitternes konge holdt stædigt fast ved sit afslag, og derfor måtte Israels folk opgive at tage den vej.
Arons død
23Ved Hors bjerg nær ved grænsen til Edom sagde Herren til Moses og Aron:24„Tiden er kommet, hvor Aron skal dø. Han får ikke lov at komme ind i det land, jeg har lovet Israels folk, for I var begge ulydige imod mig ved Meribas vand.25Moses skal føre Aron og hans søn Eleazar op på Hors bjerg,26og dér skal han tage Arons præstedragt af ham og give hans søn Eleazar den på, hvorefter Aron skal dø.”27Moses adlød Herren, og mens folket fulgte dem med øjnene, gik de tre mænd op på Hors bjerg.28Da de nåede toppen, tog Moses præstedragten af Aron og gav Eleazar den på, hvorefter Aron døde oppe på bjerget. Moses og Eleazar gik så ned igen,29og da folket hørte, at Aron var død, sørgede de over ham i 30 dage.
1And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. (2.Mos 15,20; 4.Mos 12,1; 4.Mos 13,21; 4.Mos 26,59)
The Waters of Meribah
2Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. (2.Mos 17,1; 4.Mos 16,19; 4.Mos 16,42)3And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! (2.Mos 17,2; 4.Mos 11,1; 4.Mos 11,33; 4.Mos 14,2; 4.Mos 14,37; 4.Mos 16,32; 4.Mos 16,35; 4.Mos 16,49)4Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?5And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” (2.Mos 17,3)6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, (3.Mos 9,23; 4.Mos 14,5; 4.Mos 16,4; 4.Mos 16,22; 4.Mos 16,45)7and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,8“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” (2.Mos 17,5; 2.Mos 17,6)9And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. (4.Mos 17,10)
Moses Strikes the Rock
10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Salm 106,32)11And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. (4.Mos 20,8)12And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” (4.Mos 27,14; 5.Mos 1,37; 5.Mos 3,26; 5.Mos 32,51; Ez 20,41; Ez 36,23; Ez 38,16)13These are the waters of Meribah,[1] where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy. (2.Mos 17,7; 4.Mos 27,14; 5.Mos 32,51; 5.Mos 33,8; Salm 81,7; Salm 95,8; Salm 106,32)
Edom Refuses Passage
14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: (1.Mos 36,31; 5.Mos 2,4; 5.Mos 2,8; 5.Mos 23,7; Dom 11,16; Ob 1,10; Ob 1,12)15how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. (1.Mos 46,6; 2.Mos 1,11; 2.Mos 12,40; 5.Mos 26,6; Ap G 7,15)16And when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. (2.Mos 2,23; 2.Mos 3,2; 2.Mos 3,7; 2.Mos 14,19; 2.Mos 23,20; 2.Mos 33,2)17Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” (4.Mos 20,19; 4.Mos 21,22; 5.Mos 2,27)18But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.”19And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” (4.Mos 20,17; 5.Mos 2,6; 5.Mos 2,28)20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. (Dom 11,17; Amos 1,11)21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. (4.Mos 21,4; 5.Mos 2,8; 5.Mos 2,29; Dom 11,18)
The Death of Aaron
22And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. (4.Mos 21,4; 4.Mos 33,37)23And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom,24“Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. (1.Mos 25,8; 4.Mos 20,12; 4.Mos 27,13; 4.Mos 31,2; 5.Mos 32,50)25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor.26And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.” (4.Mos 20,24)27Moses did as the Lord commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.28And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. (2.Mos 29,29; 4.Mos 33,38; 5.Mos 10,6; 5.Mos 32,50)29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. (5.Mos 34,8)