Numbers 20

¹ People of Israel reach Zin desert for first month and dem set up camp near Kadesh town. Na for there Miriam die and dem bury her.

² The Israelites no get water, naso dem go meet Moses and Aaron

³ and dem complain say, “Moses, e for better make we don die with others for front of Holy Tent.

⁴ Na you bring us come this desert and now we and our animals go die.

⁵ Egypt better pass this horrible place. At least for there, we get grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we no even get any water.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron come go entrance of the Holy Tent, where dem bow down and pray. God come appear to them with him full glory

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⁸ and say, “Moses, take your walking stick. Make you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock make e give una water. Na how you go provide water for people of Israel and their animal be that.”

⁹ Moses obey and take him stick from Holy Tent.

¹⁰ After him and Aaron don gather the people round the rock, he say, “Look, you people wey no dey hear word, una go see how water go come out of this rock!”

¹¹ He raise him stick and hit the rock two times. Water begin dey rush out of the rock once, and the people and their animal get water to drink.

¹² But God tell Moses and Aaron say, “Because una no believe in my power, the people no respect me. So, no be una go be the ones wey go lead them to the land wey I don promise.”

¹³ The Israelites don complain against God, and he don show them him power as he give them water to drink. Naso dem name the place Meribah, wey mean “To dey complain.”

¹⁴ Moses send messengers from Israel camp near Kadesh with this message for Edom king: We be Israelites, your relatives, and I dey sure say you don hear about the terrible things wey don happen to us.

¹⁵ Our ancestors settle for Egypt and live for there long time ago. But later, the Egyptians dey terrible to us,

¹⁶ and when we beg our God for help, him answer our prayer and bring us out of that land. Now we don camp for the border of your country, near Kadesh town.

¹⁷ Abeg allow us Make we pass through your country. We no go near your fields and vineyards, and we no go drink any water from your wells. We go stay for main road until we leave your country.

¹⁸ But king of Edom answer say, “No, I no go allow una go through our country! And if una try, we go attack una.”

¹⁹ Moses send back message say, “We promise say we go stay for main road, and if any of our animal drink una water, we go pay for am. We just wan pass through.”

²⁰ But the king insist say, “Una no fit go through our land!” Naso Edom send their strong troops

²¹ make dem no allow Israel pass through their country. Naso the Israelites go pass another direction.

²² After Israelites don leave Kadesh and dem don go far reach Mount Hor

²³ for Edomite border, God say,

²⁴ “Aaron”, na here you go die. You and Moses disobey me for Meribah, and so you no go enter the land wey I promise the Israelites.

²⁵ Moses, follow Aaron and him son Eleazar go top of the mountain.

²⁶ Take Aaron priest robe from him and place am on Eleazar. Aaron go die there.

²⁷ Moses obey, and people watch as him and Aaron and Eleazar dey walk go top of Mount Hor.

²⁸ Moses come take the priest robe from Aaron, and place am on Eleazar. Na there Aaron die. When Moses and Eleazar come down,

²⁹ the people know say Aaron don die, and dem mourn him death for 30 days.