The Wilderness Years

Also whosoeuer toucheth one that is slaine with a sworde in the fielde, or a dead person, or a bone of a dead man, or a graue, shall be vncleane seuen dayes.

Therfore for an vncleane person they shall take of the burnt ashes of the sinne offring, and pure water shalbe put thereto in a vessel.

And a cleane person shall take hyssope and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it vpon the tent, and vpon all the vessels, and on the persons that were therein, and vpon him that touched ye bone, or the slayne, or the dead, or the graue.

And the cleane person shall sprinkle vpon the vncleane the third day, and the seuenth day, and hee shall purifie him selfe the seuenth day, and wash his clothes, and wash himself in water, and shalbe cleane at euen.

But the man that is vncleane and purifieth not himselfe, that person shalbe cut off from among the Congregation, because hee hath defiled the Sanctuarie of the Lord: and the sprinkling water hath not bene sprinkled vpon him: therefore shall he be vncleane.

And it shalbe a perpetual lawe vnto them, that he that sprinkleth the sprinkling water, shall wash his clothes: also hee that toucheth the sprinkling water, shalbe vncleane vntill euen.

And whatsoeuer the vncleane person toucheth, shall be vncleane: and the person that toucheth him, shalbe vncleane vntill the euen.

Then the children of Israel came with ye whole Congregation to the desert of Zin in the first moneth, and the people abode at Cadesh: where Miriam died, and was buried there.

But there was no water for the Congregation, and they assembled them selues against Moses and against Aaron.

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God we had perished, when our brethren died before the Lord.

Why haue ye thus brought the Congregation of the Lord vnto his wildernesse, that both we, and our cattell should die there?

Wherefore nowe haue yee made vs to come vp from Egypt, to bring vs into this miserable place, which is no place of seede, nor figges, nor vines, nor pomegranates? neither is there any water to drinke.

Then Moses and Aaron went from the assemblie vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and fell vpon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared vnto them.

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Take the rod, and gather thou and thy brother Aaron the Congregation together, and speake yee vnto the rocke before their eyes, and it shall giue foorth his water, and thou shalt bring them water out of the rocke: so thou shalt giue the Congregation, and their beastes drinke.

Then Moses tooke the rod from before the Lord, as he had commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the Congregation together before the rocke, and Moses sayd vnto them, Heare nowe, ye rebels: shall we bring you water out of this rocke?

Then Moses lift vp his hande, and with his rod he smote the rocke twise, and the water came out aboundantly: so the Congregation, and their beastes dranke.

Againe the Lord spake vnto Moses, and to Aaron, Because ye beleeued me not, to sanctifie mee in the presence of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the land which I haue giuen them.

This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel stroue with the Lord, and hee was sanctified in them.

Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh vnto the king of Edom, saying, Thus sayth thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the trauaile that we haue had,

How our fathers went downe into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, where the Egyptians handled vs euill and our fathers.

But when we cried vnto the Lord, he heard our voyce, and sent an Angel, and hath brought vs out of Egypt, and beholde, wee are in the citie Kadesh, in thine vtmost border.

I pray thee that we may passe through thy countrey: we will not goe through the fieldes nor the vineyardes, neither will we drinke of the water of the welles: we will goe by the kings way, and neither turne vnto the right hand nor to the left, vntill we be past thy borders.

And Edom answered him, Thou shalt not passe by mee, least I come out against thee with the sword.