1以色列子民全會眾於正月來到了親曠野，人民就在卡德士住下了。米黎盎在那裡死了，也就埋葬在那裡。 1And the children of Israel, and all the multitude came into the desert of Sin, in the first month: and the people abode in Cades. And Mary died there, and was buried in the same place.
2會眾沒有水喝，就聚在一起反抗梅瑟和亞郎。 2And the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron:
3民眾同梅瑟爭辯說：「巴不得我們的兄弟在上主面前死去時，我們也死了！ 3And making a sedition, they said: Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.
4為什麼你們領上主的會眾來到這曠野裡，叫我們和我們的牲畜都死在這裡？ 4Why have you brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both we and our cattle should die?
5為什麼你們使我們由埃及上來，領我們來到這樣壞的地方？這地方不但沒有糧食，沒有無花果，沒有葡萄，沒有石榴，而且連喝的水也沒有！」 5Why have you made us come up out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink?
6梅瑟和亞郎遂離開會眾，來到會幕門口，俯伏在地；上主的榮耀遂發顯給他們。 6And Moses and Aaron leaving the multitude, went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and fell flat upon the ground, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur. And the glory of the Lord appeared over them.
7上主吩咐梅瑟說： 7And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
8「你拿上棍杖，然後你和你的兄弟亞郎召集會眾，當著他們眼前對這磐石發命，叫磐石流水。這樣你便可使水由磐石中給他們流出，給會眾和他們的牲畜喝。」 8Take the rod, and assemble the people together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall drink.
9梅瑟就照上主吩咐他的，由上主面前拿了棍杖。 9Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded him,
10梅瑟和亞郎召集會眾來到磐石前，對他們說：「你們這些叛徒，聽著！我們豈能從這磐石中給你們引出水來？」 10And having gathered together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we bring you forth water out of this rock?
11梅瑟遂舉起手來，用棍杖打了磐石兩次，纔有大量的水湧出，會眾和他們的牲畜都喝夠了。 11And when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank,
12上主卻對梅瑟和亞郎說：「因為你們沒有相信我，使我在以色列子民眼前被尊為聖，所以你們不得領這會眾進入我賜給他們的土地。」 12And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land, which I will give them.
13這就是默黎巴水的來歷，因為以色列子民在那裡與上主爭辯過，上主因而顯示了自己的聖德。 13This is the Water of contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
14梅瑟由卡德士派遣使者去見厄東王說：「你的兄弟以色列這樣說：你知道我們所遭遇的一切困難。 14In the mean time Moses sent messengers from Cades to the king of Edom, to say: Thus saith thy brother Israel: Thou knowest all the labour that hath come upon us:
15我們的祖先下到了埃及。我們在埃及住了很久，埃及人虐待了我們和我們的祖先。 15In what manner our fathers went down into Egypt, and there we dwelt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.
16我們曾向上主呼號，他俯聽了我們的呼聲，派來了一位使者，領我們出離了埃及。看，我們現在就在你邊境上的卡德士城， 16And how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt. Lo, we are now in the city of Cades, which is in the uttermost of thy borders,
17求你讓我們由你境內經過；我們決不會踏過莊田或葡萄園，也不喝井裡的水，只走王道，不偏右，也不偏左；直至走過你的國境。」 17And we beseech thee that we may have leave to pass through thy country. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, we will not drink the waters of thy wells, but we will go by the common highway, neither turning aside to the right hand, nor to the left, till we are past thy borders.
18厄東卻答覆說：「不准你由我這裡經過，不然，我要以刀相迎。」 18And Edom answered them: Thou shalt not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.
19以色列子民再對他說：「我們只沿大路走，我們和我們的牲畜若喝了你的水，我們願付錢；只求步行經過這點小事。」 19And the children of Israel said: We will go by the beaten way: and if we and our cattle drink of thy waters, we will give thee what is just: there shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us pass speedily.
20他仍然說：「不准你經過。」厄東即領大隊人馬和武裝部隊出迎。 20But he answered: Thou shalt not pass. And immediately he came forth to meet them with an infinite multitude, and a strong hand,
21厄東既然不讓以色列由他境內經過，以色列就從那裡折回。 21Neither would he condescend to their desire to grant them passage through his borders. Wherefore Israel turned another way from him.
22以色列子民全會眾由卡德士起程，來到了曷爾山。 22And when they had removed the camp from Cades, they came to mount Her, which is in the borders of the land of Edom:
23在厄東國界的曷爾山上，上主對梅瑟和亞郎說： 23Where the Lord spoke to Moses:
24「亞郎要歸到他祖先那裡去；他不能進入我賜給以色列子民的地方，因為你們在默黎巴取水的事上，違背了我的訓令。 24Let Aaron, saith he, go to his people: for he shall not go into the land which I have given the children of Israel, because he was incredulous to my words, at the waters of contradiction.
25你帶亞郎和他的兒子厄肋阿匝爾，一同上曷爾山上去， 25Take Aaron and his son with him, and bring them up into mount Hor:
26將亞郎的長袍脫下，給他的兒子厄肋阿匝爾穿上，因為亞郎要被召歸去，死在那裡。」 26And when thou hast stripped the father of his vesture, thou shalt vest therewith Eleazar his son: Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and die there.
27梅瑟就照上主吩咐的做了。當著全會眾的面，他們上了曷爾山。 27Moses did as the Lord had commanded: and they went up into mount Hor before all the multitude.
28梅瑟把亞郎的長袍脫下，給他的兒子厄肋阿匝爾穿上，亞郎就在山頂死了。以後梅瑟和厄肋阿匝爾由山上下來。 28And when he had stripped Aaron of his vestments, he vested Eleazar his son with them.
29全會眾知道亞郎死了，以色列全家為亞郎舉哀三十天。 29And Aaron being dead in the top of the mountain, he came down with Eleazar.
30 30And all the multitude seeing that Aaron was dead, mourned for him thirty days throughout all their families.
20:1
「正月」大概是指出埃及後第叁年的正月。
20:3
民众的话暗示11:33; 16:31-35中所记述的事。
20:4-13
解经学家多以为梅瑟因没有全心信赖天主，打了两次磐石，水 流出来。故此天主惩罚他，不让他领以色列进入许地；但是也有不少解经家，以为梅瑟和亚郎犯了另一种更大的罪，使天主如此严厉地惩罚了他们。天主的「圣德」包含天主的一切美德，特别指他的超越性、忠信和正义；本节特指天主的正义而言。
20:14-21
厄东民族为厄撒乌的後代，所以与以色列有兄弟的关系。见创36。16节的「使者」；是指上主的使者。见出14:19; 23:20; 32:34。「王道」指古代最着名的从叙利亚到埃及经过旷野的一条大路，与这条大路相对的，还有一条「海道」；即从叙利亚沿地中海岸，而通往埃及的一条大路。见玛4:12-16。
20:22-29
按若瑟夫的记载，曷尔山离贝特辣城不远，即现今阿剌伯人所称的「亚郎先知山」；按申10:6的记载，亚郎在摩色辣山去世。摩色辣或即曷尔山之一山峰。关於亚郎的尊位和德行，参阅希9:4，咏115:10-12; 118:3; 99:6；德45:6-22。关於亚郎的司祭职与基督的司祭职的比较，见希5:1-9; 7:1-9,28。