Numbers 14:22
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
22 of all the people who have seen my glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the wilderness,(A) and who nevertheless have put me to the test ten times already and have not obeyed me,
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Numbers 20:2-13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Need for Water at Kadesh. 2 Since the community had no water, they held an assembly against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses, exclaiming, “Would that we had perished when our kindred perished before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5 Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place for grain nor figs nor vines nor pomegranates! And there is no water to drink!” 6 But Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting, where they fell prostrate.
Sin of Moses and Aaron. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord said to Moses: 8 Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aaron your brother, and in their presence command the rock to yield its waters. Thereby you will bring forth water from the rock for them, and supply the community and their livestock with water. 9 So Moses took the staff from its place before the Lord, as he was ordered. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, where he said to them,(A) “Just listen, you rebels! Are we to produce water for you out of this rock?” 11 (B)Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice[a] with his staff, and water came out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 [b]But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have confidence in me, to acknowledge my holiness before the Israelites, therefore you shall not lead this assembly into the land I have given them.
13 These are the waters of Meribah,(C) where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and through which he displayed his holiness.
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- 20:11 Twice: perhaps because he did not have sufficient faith to work the wonder with the first blow. Cf. v. 12.
- 20:12–13 What lay behind Moses and Aaron’s lack of confidence is not made explicit in the text. Holiness: an allusion to the name of the place, Kadesh, which means “holy, sanctified, sacred.” Meribah means “contention.” Cf. Ex 17:7.
Deuteronomy 6:16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
16 You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test, as you did at Massah.(A)
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Deuteronomy 33:8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
8 Of Levi he said:(A)
Give to Levi your Thummim,
your Urim[a] to your faithful one;
Him you tested at Massah,
contended against him at the waters of Meribah.(B)
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