CHAPTER XIII,

Israel journeys on and murmurs still. Moses and Aaron are forbidden to enter the Promised Land. Story of Balaam.

JOW three men, named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, rose up against Moses and Aaron, declaring that they took too much upon them, forgetting that it was God Himself who had set Moses over the children of Israel. Then God was very angry with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and their goods. They and all belonging to them went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord. Then God was very angry, and sent a plague amongst them, and but for Moses and Aaron He would have destroyed them all. But Aaron ran quickly and took a censer and put fire and incense therein, and stood between the living and the dead and made atonement for them, and the plague was stayed. But fourteen thousand and seven hundred died, besides

those that died with Korah. Now the children of Israel journeyed on and came to the wilderness of Zin, and rested at Kadesh, and here Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, died and was buried. And here at this place Moses, who had led the people up out of Egypt, and had spoken face to face with God, was so unhappy as to displease God, and lose the privilege of leading the people on into the Promised Land. There was no water for the people in Kadesh, and they began, as so often before, to chide Moses and Aaron, saying, Why have ye brought us up into this wilderness? Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces, and the glory of the Lord. appeared unto them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes. And it shall give forth water. So shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts drink.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation of Israel together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock? 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.

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. This is the water of Meribah.

And the children of Israel journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto Mount Hor. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 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. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor, and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the Lord commanded. And Aaron died there in the top of the mount. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. And all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days. And they journeyed on from Mount Hor, and again the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit them, and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and confessed their sins, and asked him to pray for them. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to