Numbers 19-20

Wycliffe Bible

19 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

² This is the religion of sacrifice, which the Lord ordained. Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they bring to thee a red cow of whole colour, in which is no wem, neither she hath borne (a) yoke. (This is the law of sacrifice, which the Lord hath ordained. Command thou to the Israelites, that they bring to thee a red cow of whole colour, in which there is no blemish, or fault, nor hath she ever borne a yoke.)

³ And ye shall betake her to Eleazar, the priest, that shall offer her, led out of the tents, in the sight of all men. (And ye shall give her to Eleazar, the priest, and when she is led away from the tents, he shall offer her in the sight of all the people.)

⁴ And he shall dip his finger in the blood thereof, and shall sprinkle (it) seven times against the gates of the tabernacle. (And he shall dip his finger in her blood, and he shall sprinkle it seven times towards the front of the Tabernacle.)

⁵ And he shall burn that cow, while all men see; and he shall give as well the skin, and the flesh thereof, as the blood, and the dung, to [the] burning. (And then a man shall burn that cow, in front of Eleazar; and he shall put its skin, and flesh, and blood, and dung, in the fire.)

⁶ Also the priest shall put cedar wood (And the priest shall put cedar wood), and hyssop, and red thread dyed twice, into the fire, that burneth the cow.

⁷ And then at the last, when the priest’s clothes and his body be washed, he shall enter into the tents, and he shall be defouled, or unclean, till to eventide. (And then, after the priest hath washed his clothes, and his body, he shall return to the tents, but he shall be defiled, or unclean, until the evening.)

⁸ But also he that burnt the cow, shall wash his clothes, and his body, and he shall be unclean till to eventide. (And the man who burned the cow, shall also wash his clothes, and his body, and he shall also be unclean until the evening.)

⁹ Soothly a clean man shall gather the ashes of the cow, and he shall pour them out without the tents, in a place most clean, that those ashes be to the multitude of the sons of Israel into keeping, and into water of sprinkling; for that cow is burnt for sin. (And a man who is clean shall gather up the cow’s ashes, and he shall pour them out away from the tents, in a most clean place, so that those ashes can be used for the multitude of the Israelites to make the water of cleansing, or of purification; for that cow is burnt as a sin offering.)

¹⁰ And when he that bare out the ashes of the cow, hath washed his clothes, he shall be unclean till to eventide. And the sons of Israel, and the comelings that dwell among them, shall have, or hold, this (to be) holy by (an) everlasting law.

¹¹ He that toucheth a dead body of a man, and is unclean for this by seven days, (He who toucheth someone’s dead body, is made unclean by this for seven days,)

¹² shall be sprinkled of this water in the third [day], and in the seventh day; and so he shall be cleansed. If he is not sprinkled in the third day, he shall not be able to be cleansed in the seventh day. (and he shall be sprinkled with the water of cleansing, or of purification, on the third day, and on the seventh day; and then he shall be clean again. If he is not sprinkled on both the third day, and on the seventh day, he shall not be made clean.)

¹³ Each that toucheth the dead body by itself of (a) man’s soul, and is not sprinkled with this meddling (of water and ashes), defouleth the tabernacle of the Lord, and he shall perish from Israel; for he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing, he shall be unclean, and his filth shall dwell upon him. (Anyone who toucheth a dead body, and is not sprinkled with this mixture of water and ashes, defileth the Tabernacle of the Lord, and he shall be cut off, or be put out, from Israel; and because he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing, he shall remain unclean, and his filth shall remain upon him.)

¹⁴ This is the law of a man that dieth in the tabernacle; all that enter into his tent, and all the vessels that be there, shall be defouled by seven days. (This is the law for anyone who dieth in a tent; all who enter into his tent, and all the vessels that be there, shall be defiled, or unclean, for seven days.)

¹⁵ A vessel that hath not a covering, neither a binding above, shall be unclean. (Any open vessel there, that hath not a cover, or a lid on top of it, shall be unclean.)

¹⁶ If any man toucheth the dead body of a man slain in the field, either dead by himself, either a bone of him, either his sepulchre, he shall be unclean by seven days. (If anyone toucheth the dead body of someone killed in the field, that is, outside, or who hath died naturally, or who toucheth one of their bones, or their grave, or their tomb, they shall be unclean for seven days.)

¹⁷ And they shall take of the ashes of the burning, and of the sin (offering), that is, of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put quick waters into a vessel, upon those ashes; (And they shall take some of the ashes from the burning of that sin offering, that is, some of the ashes of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put those ashes into a vessel with fresh water;)

¹⁸ in which when a clean man hath dipped hyssop, he shall sprinkle therewith the tent, and all the purtenance of the household, and the men also defouled with such defouling (and also anyone defiled with such defilement).

¹⁹ And in this manner a clean man shall cleanse an unclean thing, in the third (day) and in the seventh day; and he shall be cleansed in the seventh day. And he shall wash himself, and his clothes, and he shall be unclean till to eventide. (And in this manner a clean man shall sprinkle an unclean thing on the third day, and on the seventh day; and it shall be clean on the seventh day. And then he shall wash himself, and his clothes, but he shall be unclean until the evening.)

²⁰ If any man is not cleansed by this custom, (or rite,) the soul of him shall perish from the midst of the church (that person shall be cut off, or shall be put out, from among the congregation); for he defouleth the saintuary of the Lord, and he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing.

²¹ This behest shall be a lawful thing everlasting. Also he that shall sprinkle the waters (of cleansing) shall wash his clothes; each man that toucheth the waters of cleansing, shall be unclean till to eventide. (This rule shall be an everlasting law. He who shall sprinkle the water of cleansing shall wash his clothes; and anyone who toucheth the water of cleansing shall be unclean until the evening.)

²² Whatever thing an unclean man toucheth, he shall make unclean; and a soul that toucheth any of these things defouled so, shall be unclean till to eventide. (Whatever thing an unclean person toucheth, they shall make that unclean; and anyone who toucheth any of these things that be so defiled, shall be unclean until the evening.)

20 And the sons of Israel and all the multitude came into the desert of Zin, in the first month. And the people dwelled in Kadesh; and Marie was dead there, and buried in the same place. (And so the Israelites and all the multitude came into the wilderness of Zin, in the first month. And the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.)

² And when the people had need to water (And when the people needed water), they went together against Moses and Aaron;

³ and they were turned into dissension, that is, rebelty and striving (that is, rebellion and strife), and said, We would that we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.

⁴ Why have ye led out the church of the Lord into wilderness, that both we and our beasts die (here)? (Why have ye led out the Lord’s congregation into this wilderness, so that both we and our beasts shall die here?)

⁵ Why have ye made us to go up from Egypt, and have brought us into this worst place, which may not be sown, which neither bringeth forth fig trees, nor vines, neither pomegranates; furthermore and it hath not water to drink? (and furthermore there is no water to drink!)

⁶ And when the multitude was left, Moses and Aaron entered into the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, and they fell down low upon the earth, and they cried to God, and said, Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a well of quick water, that when they be filled, the grouching of them cease. And the glory of the Lord appeared upon them; (And they left the multitude, and Moses and Aaron entered into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and they fell down on the ground, and they cried out to God, and said, Lord God, hear the cry of these people, and open thy treasure to them, yea, a well of fresh water, so that when they be filled, their grumbling shall cease. And the glory of the Lord appeared above them;)

⁷ and the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

⁸ Take the rod of Aaron, and gather together the people, thou, and Aaron thy brother; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out waters. And when thou hast led water out of the stone, all the multitude shall drink, and their beasts thereof. (Take the staff, and gather together the people, thou, and thy brother Aaron; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out water. And when thou hast led out water from the stone, all the multitude and their beasts shall drink it.)

⁹ Therefore Moses took the rod that was in the sight of the Lord, as the Lord commanded to him, (And so Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him,)

¹⁰ when the multitude was gathered before the stone; and he said to them, Hear ye, rebel[s], and unbelieveful; whether we may bring out of this stone water to you? (and when the multitude was gathered in front of the stone, Moses said to them, Listen, ye rebels and unbelievers; must we get water out of this stone for you?)

¹¹ And when Moses had raised his hand, and had smitten the flint twice with the rod, most large waters went out, so that the people drank, and their beasts. (And when Moses had raised up his hand, and had struck the rock twice with the staff, a great deal of water came out, so that the people drank, and also their beasts.)

¹² And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, For ye believed not to me, that ye should hallow me before the sons of Israel (For ye did not believe me, and uphold my holiness before the Israelites), ye shall not lead these peoples into the land which I shall give to them.

¹³ This is the water of against-saying; there the sons of Israel strived against the Lord, and he was hallowed in them. (This is the water of Meribah; there the Israelites complained against the Lord, but he was still holy before them.)

¹⁴ In the meantime Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, the which (messengers) said, Israel thy brother, sendeth these things to thee. Thou knowest all the travail that hath taken us,

¹⁵ how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelled there much time, and (the) Egyptians tormented us, and our fathers (as well);

¹⁶ and how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel that [hath] led us out of Egypt. And lo! we be set in the city of Kadesh, that is in thine uttermost coasts (that is on thy most distant border),

¹⁷ and we beseech thee that it be leaveful to us to pass through thy land; we shall not go by thy fields, neither by thy vineries, neither we shall drink waters of thy wells; but we shall go in the common way, and we shall not bow to the right side, neither to the left side, till we pass thy terms. (and we beseech thee that it be lawful for us to pass through thy land; we shall not go into thy fields, or into thy vineyards, and we shall not drink any water from thy wells; but we shall go on the common way, and we shall not turn to the right side, or to the left side, till we go out again over thy border.)

¹⁸ To whom Edom answered, Ye shall not pass by me, else I shall be armed, and come against thee. (To whom the Edomites answered, Ye shall not pass through our land, and if ye try, we shall be armed, and shall come out against thee.)

¹⁹ And the sons of Israel said, We shall go by the way commonly used, and if we and our beasts drink thy waters, we shall give that that is just; no hardness shall be in the price, only pass we in haste (we will have no difficulty to pay you for it; but just let us quickly pass through thy land).

²⁰ And he answered, Ye shall not pass by me. And anon he went out against Israel, with a multitude without number, and [with a] strong hand/and with strong power, (And they answered, Ye shall not pass through our land. And at once the Edomites went out against Israel, in a multitude without number, and with mighty power,)

²¹ neither he would assent to Israel beseeching, that he should grant passage by his coasts. (for they would not agree to Israel’s beseeching, to grant them passage through their land.)

²² Wherefore Israel turned away from him. And when Israel had moved their tents from Kadesh, they came into the hill of Hor, (And so Israel turned, and went by another way. And when they had moved on from Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor,)

²³ which is in the ends of the land of Edom (which is near Edom’s border); where the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

²⁴ Aaron (shall) go to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I gave to the sons of Israel, for he was unbelieveful to my word, at the waters of against-saying. (Aaron shall now go to his people, that is, he shall die; for he shall not enter into the land which I gave to the Israelites, for he did not believe my word at the waters of Meribah.)

²⁵ Take thou Aaron, and his son with him, and thou shalt lead them into the hill of Hor (and lead thou them up onto Mount Hor);

²⁶ and when thou hast made naked the father of his cloth (and when thou hast made stripped the father of his priestly cloak, or robe), thou shalt clothe therewith Eleazar, his son, and Aaron shall be gathered (to his people), and shall die there.

²⁷ And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they ascended into the hill of Hor, before all the multitude (and they went up onto Mount Hor, in the sight of all the multitude).

²⁸ And when Moses had made naked Aaron of his clothes, he clothed with those Eleazar, his son. Soothly when Aaron was dead in the top of the hill, Moses came down with Eleazar. (And when Moses had stripped Aaron of his priestly clothes, he clothed Aaron’s son Eleazar with them. And then, after that Aaron had died there on the mountain-top, Moses came down with Eleazar.)

²⁹ Soothly all the multitude saw that Aaron was dead, and it wept upon him thirty days, by all their families. (And all the multitude saw that Aaron had died, and all the families wept over him for thirty days.)