The Wilderness Years

And the sons of Israel say unto him, `In the highway we go, and if of thy waters we drink--I and my cattle--then I have given their price; only (it is nothing) on my feet I pass over.'

And he saith, `Thou dost not pass over;' and Edom cometh out to meet him with much people, and with a strong hand;

and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.

And the sons of Israel, the whole company, journey from Kadesh, and come in unto mount Hor,

and Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying,

`Aaron is gathered unto his people, for he doth not go in unto the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that ye provoked My mouth at the waters of Meribah.

`Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and cause them to go up mount Hor,

and strip Aaron of his garments, and thou hast clothed with them Eleazar his son, and Aaron is gathered, and doth die there.'

And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded, and they go up unto mount Hor before the eyes of all the company,

and Moses strippeth Aaron of his garments, and clotheth with them Eleazar his son, and Aaron dieth there on the top of the mount; and Moses cometh down--Eleazar also--from the mount,

and all the company see that Aaron hath expired, and they bewail Aaron thirty days--all the house of Israel.

And the Canaanite--king Arad--dwelling in the south, heareth that Israel hath come the way of the Atharim, and he fighteth against Israel, and taketh some of them captive.

And Israel voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, `If Thou dost certainly give this people into my hand, then I have devoted their cities;'

and Jehovah hearkeneth to the voice of Israel, and giveth up the Canaanite, and he devoteth them and their cities, and calleth the name of the place Hormah.

And they journey from mount Hor, the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom, and the soul of the people is short in the way,

and the people speak against God, and against Moses, `Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to die in a wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul hath been weary of this light bread.'

And Jehovah sendeth among the people the burning serpents, and they bite the people, and much people of Israel die;

and the people come in unto Moses and say, `We have sinned, for we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, and He doth turn aside from us the serpent;' and Moses prayeth in behalf of the people.

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Make for thee a burning serpent , and set it on an ensign; and it hath been, every one who is bitten and hath seen it--he hath lived.

And Moses maketh a serpent of brass, and setteth it on the ensign, and it hath been, if the serpent hath bitten any man, and he hath looked expectingly unto the serpent of brass--he hath lived.

And the sons of Israel journey, and encamp in Oboth.

And they journey from Oboth, and encamp in Ije-Abarim, in the wilderness that is on the front of Moab, at the rising of the sun.

From thence they have journeyed, and encamp in the valley of Zared.

From thence they have journeyed, and encamp beyond Arnon, which is in the wilderness which is coming out of the border of the Amorite, for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorite;

therefore it is said in a book, `The wars of Jehovah,' --`Waheb in Suphah, And the brooks of Arnon;