Madzi Ochokera Mʼthanthwe
1Pa mwezi woyamba gulu lonse la Aisraeli linafika ku chipululu cha Zini, ndipo anakhala ku Kadesi. Miriamu anafera kumeneko ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda.
2Kunalibe madzi woti anthu onse ndi kumwa, choncho anthuwo anasonkhana motsutsana ndi Mose ndi Aaroni. 3Anakangana ndi Mose kuti, “Kunali bwino ifenso tikanangofa pamene abale athu anafa pamaso pa Yehova! 4Chifukwa chiyani unabweretsa gulu la Yehova mʼchipululu muno, kuti ife ndi ziweto zathu tife kuno? 5Nʼchifukwa chiyani unatitulutsa mʼdziko la Igupto ndi kutibweretsa kumalo woyipa ano? Kuno kulibe tirigu kapena nkhuyu, mphesa kapena makangadza. Ndipo kuno kulibenso madzi akumwa!”
6Mose ndi Aaroni anachoka mu msonkhano ndi kupita pa khomo la tenti ya msonkhano, nagwa pansi chafufumimba ndipo ulemerero wa Yehova unaonekera. 7Yehova anati kwa Mose, 8“Tenga ndodo, ndipo iwe ndi mʼbale wako Aaroni musonkhanitse anthu onse pamodzi. Uyankhule ndi thanthwe ilo iwo akuona ndipo lidzatulutsa madzi ake. Udzatulutsa madzi mʼthanthwe limeneli kuti anthu onse ndi ziweto zawo amwe.”
9Choncho Mose anatenga ndodo pamaso pa Yehova monga momwe anamulamulira. 10Mose ndi Aaroni anasonkhanitsa anthuwo pamodzi ku thanthwelo ndipo Mose anawawuza kuti, “Tamverani osamvera inu, kodi tikupatseni madzi kuchokera ku thanthwe ili?” 11Choncho Mose anatukula dzanja lake ndi kumenya thanthwelo kawiri ndi ndodo yake ndipo madzi ambiri anatuluka mwamphamvu, ndipo anthu ndi ziweto zawo anamwa.
12Koma Yehova anati kwa Mose ndi Aaroni, “Chifukwa chakuti simunandikhulupirire ndiponso simunandilemekeze monga Woyera pamaso pa Aisraeli, simudzalowetsa anthuwa mʼdziko limene ndikupereka kwa iwo.”
13Awa anali madzi a ku Meriba, kumene Aisraeli anakangana ndi Yehova ndiponso kumene Yehovayo anadzionetsa yekha kuti ndi Woyera pakati pawo.
Aedomu Akaniza Njira Aisraeli
14Mose anatumiza amithenga kuchokera ku Kadesi kupita kwa mfumu ya ku Edomu, kukanena kuti,
“Mʼbale wako Israeli akunena izi: Inuyo mukudziwa za mavuto onse amene anatigwera. 15Makolo athu anapita ku Igupto ndipo tinakhala kumeneko zaka zambiri. Aigupto anatizunza pamodzi ndi makolo athuwo, 16koma titalirira Yehova, Iyeyo anamva kulira kwathuko ndipo anatitumizira mngelo amene anatitulutsa ku Igupto.”
“Taonani, tsopano tili pano pa Kadesi, mzinda wa mʼmalire a dziko lanu. 17Chonde mutilole tidutse mʼdziko lanu. Sitidzera mʼminda yanu kapena mu mpesa wanu, kapenanso kumwa madzi mʼchitsime chilichonse. Tidzayenda kutsata msewu waukulu wa mfumu ndipo sitidzapatukira ku dzanja lamanja kapena lamanzere mpaka titadutsa malire a dziko lanu.”
18Koma Edomu anayankha kuti,
“Musadutse kuno: Mukangoyesera tidzabwera ndi kumenyana nanu ndi lupanga.”
19Aisraeli anayankha kuti,
“Tidzayenda motsata msewu waukulu. Ndipo ngati ife kapena ziweto zathu tidzamwa madzi anu tidzalipira. Tikungofuna tidutse nawo, palibenso china.”
20Koma Edomu anayankhanso kuti,
“Musadutse.”
Kenaka Edomu anatuluka ndi gulu lankhondo lalikulu komanso lamphamvu. 21Edomu anakaniza Israeli kuti adutse mʼdziko lake, choncho Israeli anabwerera.
Aaroni Amwalira
22Gulu lonse la Aisraeli linachoka ku Kadesi ndipo linafika ku phiri la Hori. 23Ali pa phiri la Hori, pafupi ndi malire a Edomu, Yehova anati kwa Mose ndi Aaroni, 24“Aaroni adzakakhala ndi anthu a mtundu wake, sadzalowa mʼdziko limene ndapereka kwa Aisraeli, chifukwa nonse munandiwukira motsutsana ndi malamulo anga ku madzi a ku Meriba. 25Tenga Aaroni ndi mwana wake wamwamuna Eliezara ndipo ukwere nawo ku phiri la Hori. 26Uvule Aaroni zovala zake ndipo umuveke mwana wake Eliezara, pakuti Aaroni adzafera komweko, ndipo adzakakhala ndi anthu a mtundu wake.”
27Mose anachita monga Yehova anamulamulira: Anapita ku phiri la Hori gulu lonse likuona. 28Pamenepo Mose anavula Aaroni zovala zake ndi kuveka mwana wake Eliezara. Aaroni anafa kumeneko pamwamba pa phirilo. Koma Mose ndi Eliezara anatsika ku phiriko, 29ndipo pamene anthu onse anamva kuti Aaroni wafa, nyumba yonse ya Israeli inamulira Aaroniyo masiku makumi atatu.
The Lord Gives Israel Water Out of the Rock
1In the first month the whole community of Israel arrived at the Desert of Zin. They stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.
2The people didn’t have any water. So they gathered together to oppose Moses and Aaron. 3They argued with Moses. They said, “We wish we had died when our people fell dead in front of the Lord. 4Why did you bring the Lord’s people into this desert? We and our livestock will die here. 5Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? Why did you bring us to this terrible place? It doesn’t have any grain or figs. It doesn’t have any grapes or pomegranates. There isn’t even any water for us to drink!”
6Moses and Aaron left the people. They went to the entrance to the tent of meeting. There they fell with their faces to the ground. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7The Lord said to Moses, 8“Get your walking stick. You and your brother Aaron gather the people together. Then speak to that rock while everyone is watching. It will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community. Then they and their livestock can drink it.”
9So Moses took the walking stick from the tent. He did just as the Lord had commanded him. 10He and Aaron gathered the people together in front of the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen, you who refuse to obey! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?” 11Then Moses raised his arm. He hit the rock twice with his walking stick. Water poured out. And the people and their livestock drank it.
12But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, “You did not trust in me enough to honor me. You did not honor me as the holy God in front of the Israelites. So you will not bring this community into the land I am giving them.”
13Those were the waters of Meribah. That’s where the Israelites argued with the Lord. And that’s where he was proven to be holy among them.
Edom Doesn’t Let Israel Pass Through Its Territory
14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. The messengers said,
“The nation of Israel is your brother. They say, ‘You know about all the hard times we’ve had. 15Long ago our people went down into Egypt. We lived there for many years. The Egyptians treated us and our people badly. 16But we cried out to the Lord. He heard our cry. He sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.
“ ‘Now here we are at the town of Kadesh. It’s on the edge of your territory. 17Please let us pass through your country. We won’t go through any field or vineyard. We won’t drink water from any well. We’ll travel along the King’s Highway. We won’t turn to the right or the left. We’ll just go straight through your territory.’ ”
18But the people of Edom answered,
“We won’t let you pass through here. If you try to, we’ll march out against you. We’ll attack you with our swords.”
19The Israelites replied,
“We’ll go along the main road. We and our livestock won’t drink any of your water. If we do, we’ll pay for it. We only want to walk through your country. That’s all we ask.”
20Again the people of Edom answered,
“We won’t let you pass through here.”
Then the people of Edom marched out against them. They came with a large and powerful army. 21Edom refused to let Israel go through their territory. So Israel turned away from them.
Aaron Dies
22The whole community of Israel started out from Kadesh. They arrived at Mount Hor. 23It was near the border of Edom. There the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, 24“Aaron will join the members of his family who have already died. He will not enter the land I am giving to the Israelites. Both of you refused to obey my command. You did it at the waters of Meribah. 25So get Aaron and his son Eleazar. Take them up Mount Hor. 26Take Aaron’s official robes off of him. Put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will die on Mount Hor. He will join the members of his family who have already died.”
27Moses did just as the Lord had commanded. The three men went up Mount Hor while the whole community was watching. 28Moses took Aaron’s official robes off of him. He put them on Aaron’s son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29The whole community found out that Aaron had died. So all the Israelites mourned for him for 30 days.
