חקת

As the Israelites traveled, God gave Moses and Aaron a special rule for becoming clean again after contact with death. The people were to bring a red cow with no blemish and that had never worn a yoke. It was given to Eleazar the priest and taken outside the camp, where it was slaughtered in his presence. Eleazar sprinkled some of its blood seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.

Then the cow was burned completely, hide, flesh, blood, and even dung. Cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson material were thrown into the fire. Afterward, the priest washed his clothes and bathed, but he was still impure until evening. Someone who was pure gathered the ashes and stored them in a clean place outside the camp. Mixed with fresh water, the ashes were used to sprinkle anyone who had touched a corpse, so they could become pure again.

The whole community came to the wilderness of Zin and stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried. Soon the camp had no water, and the people crowded around Moses and Aaron, arguing that the place had no grain, figs, vines, pomegranates, or even water to drink.

Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. God told Moses to take the rod, gather the people, and command the rock to give water. Moses and Aaron assembled everyone in front of the rock. Moses said, “Listen, you rebels,” and then he struck the rock twice. Water poured out, and the people and their animals drank.

But God said Moses and Aaron had not trusted Him enough to show His holiness before the Israelites, so they would not lead the people into the land. That place was called Meribah, meaning “quarreling,” because the people fought there.

From Kadesh, Moses asked the king of Edom for safe passage on the king’s highway, promising not to damage fields or vineyards and not to drink from wells. Edom refused and came out in heavy force, so Israel turned away. They reached Mount Hor, where God said Aaron would die. Moses brought Aaron and Eleazar up the mountain, removed Aaron’s priestly garments, and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died on the summit, and the people mourned thirty days.

Later, Israel fought the Canaanite king of Arad and vowed to proscribe the towns; God delivered them, and the place was named Hormah. Traveling around Edom, the people complained about no bread or water and “miserable food.” God sent venomous serpents; many were bitten. Moses prayed, and God told him to make a copper serpent on a pole. Whoever looked at it after being bitten recovered. The Israelites marched on and camped in the steppes of Moab, across from Jericho.