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Numbers 20 from Scroll 4Q27 Numbersb

12 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them. And Moses[1] said, “Lord Yahweh, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can act according to your works, and according to your mighty deeds? Please let me cross over and see that good land that is beyond the Jordan, those good mountains, and Lebanon.” But Yahweh said to Moses, “Enough. Speak to me no more about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and to the north and to the south  and to the east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.

[..]

16 When we cried to Yahweh, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.

17 “Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

[..]

19 The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

20 He said, “You shall not pass through, lest with the sword I come out to meet you.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

22 They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount[2] Hor. 23 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and you strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

27 Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

 

Numbers 20 from Scroll Nahal Hever Numbersa

Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. Yahweh’s glory appeared to them. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”



[1] The scroll’s reading here seems to match the Samaritan Pentateuch, and uses words from Deuteronomy 2:2-6 and 3:24-28.

[2] The words in this verse and the next, colored in orange, are actually written in red ink on the scroll. Other verses in red ink are 21:21, 22:21, 23:13, 27, 31:25, 28, 48, 32:25 and 33:1.

How to read these pages:

      The translation to the left is based on the World English Bible. Words in regular black font are words in the scrolls matching the traditional text for that passage.

      Words in italics cannot be seen in the scroll, since the scroll is fragmentary. These words are supplied for readability by the World English Bible translation.

      Words present in the scroll but with some letters unreadable or missing are in blue like this: blue. One Hebrew word often is translated into multiple English words, and when this occurs, all the English words are in blue.

      Words present in the scroll but with spelling differences that do not affect the meaning are in green like this: green. This is common in Hebrew.

      If the scroll is different from the traditional text, words in the traditional text that are missing from the text of the scroll are marked through in red like this: strike-through.

      If the scroll is different from the traditional text, words in the scroll that are not in the traditional text are underlined in red like this: new words.