VERSE STUDY • KJV

Numbers 20:14-21

¹⁴ And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: ¹⁵ How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: ¹⁶ And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: ¹⁷ Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink [of] the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s [high] way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. ¹⁸ And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. ¹⁹ And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without [doing] any thing [else], go through on my feet. ²⁰ And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. ²¹ Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹⁴ And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: ¹⁵ How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: ¹⁶ And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: ¹⁷ Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink [of] the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s [high] way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. ¹⁸ And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. ¹⁹ And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without [doing] any thing [else], go through on my feet. ²⁰ And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. ²¹ Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹⁴ From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us, ¹⁵ how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, ¹⁶ and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. ¹⁷ Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” ¹⁸ But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.” ¹⁹ “We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.” ²⁰ But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand. ²¹ So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

WEB World English Bible

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the travail that has happened to us: ¹⁵ how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers: ¹⁶ and when we cried to Yahweh, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt: and behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of your border. ¹⁷ “Please let us pass through your land: we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go along the king’s highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.” ¹⁸ Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.” ¹⁹ The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then will I give its price: let me only, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.” ²⁰ He said, “You shall not pass through.” 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.

ASV American Standard Version

¹⁴ And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: ¹⁵ how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers: ¹⁶ and when we cried unto Jehovah, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border. ¹⁷ Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land: we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go along the king’s highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy border. ¹⁸ And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee. ¹⁹ And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof: let me only, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet. ²⁰ And he said, Thou shalt not pass through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. ²¹ Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹⁴ And Moses sendeth messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, ‘Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou—thou hast known all the travail which hath found us; ¹⁵ that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers; ¹⁶ and we cry unto Jehovah, and He heareth our voice, and sendeth a messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and lo, we are in Kadesh, a city in the extremity of thy border. ¹⁷ Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land; we pass not over through a field, or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; the way of the king we go, we turn not aside—right or left—till that we pass over thy border.’ ¹⁸ And Edom saith unto him, ‘Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.’ ¹⁹ And the sons of Israel say unto him, ‘In the highway we go, and if of thy waters we drink—I and my cattle—then I have given their price; only (it is nothing) on my feet I pass over.’ ²⁰ And he saith, ‘Thou dost not pass over;’ and Edom cometh out to meet him with much people, and with a strong hand; ²¹ and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.

Surrounding context — Numbers 20

11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].

12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

13 This [is] the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:

16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink [of] the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s [high] way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without [doing] any thing [else], go through on my feet.

20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

22 And the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

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