---
title: "Numbers 20 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/numbers/20/
description: "The death of Mary the sister of Moses. The people murmur for want of water: God… Numbers 20 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Numbers 20

Numbers 20 is chapter 20 of 36 in the Book of Numbers. Here are all 30 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> The death of Mary the sister of Moses. The people murmur for want of water: God giveth it them from the rock. The death of Aaron.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Numbers 20 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. And the sons of Israel, and the entire multitude, went into the desert of Sin, in the first month. And the people stayed at Kadesh. And Miriam died there, and she was buried in the same place.
2. And when the people were in need of water, they came together against Moses and Aaron.
3. And as it turned into sedition, they said: “If only we had perished among our brothers in the sight of the Lord.
4. Why have you led away the Church of the Lord, into the wilderness, so that both we and our cattle would die?
5. Why did you cause us to ascend from Egypt, and why have you led us into this most wretched place, which is not able to be sown, which does not produce figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and which, moreover, does not even have water to drink?”
6. And Moses and Aaron, dismissing the multitude, entered the tabernacle of the covenant, and they fell prone on the ground, and they cried out to the Lord, and they said: “O Lord God, listen to the outcry of this people, and open for them, from your storehouse, a fountain of living water, so that, being satisfied, their murmuring may cease.” And the glory of the Lord appeared over them.
7. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
8. “Take the rod, and gather the people, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall bestow waters. And when you have brought forth water from the rock, the entire multitude and their cattle shall drink.”
9. Therefore, Moses took the rod, which was in the sight of the Lord, just as he had instructed him.
10. And having gathered the multitude before the rock, he said to them: “Listen, you who are rebellious and unbelieving. Would we be able to cast out water from this rock?”
11. And when Moses had lifted up his hand, striking the stone twice with the rod, very great waters went forth, so much so that the people and their cattle were able to drink.
12. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me, so as to sanctify me before the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this people into the land, which I will give to them.”
13. This is the Water of Contradiction, where the sons of Israel were quarreling against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.
14. Meanwhile, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. They said: “Your brother Israel says this: You know of all the hardships which have overtaken us,
15. how our fathers descended into Egypt, and we lived there for a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted both us and our fathers,
16. and how we cried out to the Lord, and he heeded us and sent an Angel, who led us away from Egypt. Behold, we are situated in the city of Kadesh, which is at the extremity of your borders.
17. And we beg you to permit us to cross through your land. We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards; we will not drink the waters of your wells, but we will travel by the public ways, neither turning aside to the right, nor to the left, until we have passed your borders.”
18. Edom responded to them: “You shall not cross through me, otherwise, I will meet you armed.”
19. And the sons of Israel said: “We will travel by the well-trodden path. And if we or our cattle drink from your waters, we will give you what is just. There shall be no difficulty in the price, only let us cross through quickly.”
20. But he answered, “You shall not cross.” And immediately he went out to meet them with a countless multitude and a strong hand;
21. neither was he willing to agree to their petition to concede passage through his borders. For this reason, Israel diverted away from him.
22. And when they had moved the camp from Kadesh, they arrived at mount Hor, which is at the borders of the land of Edom,
23. where the Lord spoke to Moses:
24. “Let Aaron,” he said, “go to his people. For he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because he did not believe my mouth at the Waters of Contradiction.
25. Take Aaron, and his son with him, and lead them on to mount Hor.
26. And when you have stripped the father of his vestments, you shall put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron shall be gathered and shall die there.”
27. Moses did just as the Lord had instructed. And they ascended mount Hor, in the sight of the entire multitude.
28. And when he had despoiled Aaron of his vestments, he clothed his son Eleazar with them.
29. And when Aaron had died at the top of the mountain, Moses came down with Eleazar.
30. And the entire multitude, seeing that Aaron lay dead, wept over him for thirty days, throughout all their families.

## Numbers 20 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Veneruntque filii Israël et omnis multitudo in desertum Sin, mense primo, et mansit populus in Cades. Mortuaque est ibi Maria, et sepulta in eodem loco.
2. Cumque indigeret aqua populus, convenerunt adversum Moysen et Aaron:
3. et versi in seditionem, dixerunt: Utinam periissemus inter fratres nostros coram Domino.
4. Cur eduxistis ecclesiam Domini in solitudinem, ut et nos et nostra jumenta moriamur?
5. quare nos fecistis ascendere de Ægypto, et adduxistis in locum istum pessimum, qui seri non potest, qui nec ficum gignit, nec vineas, nec malogranata, insuper et aquam non habet ad bibendum?
6. Ingressusque Moyses et Aaron, dimissa multitudine, tabernaculum fœderis, corruerunt proni in terram, clamaveruntque ad Dominum, atque dixerunt: Domine Deus, audi clamorem hujus populi, et aperi eis thesaurum tuum fontem aquæ vivæ, ut satiati, cesset murmuratio eorum. Et apparuit gloria Domini super eos.
7. Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
8. Tolle virgam, et congrega populum, tu et Aaron frater tuus, et loquimini ad petram coram eis, et illa dabit aquas. Cumque eduxeris aquam de petra, bibet omnis multitudo et jumenta ejus.
9. Tulit igitur Moyses virgam, quæ erat in conspectu Domini, sicut præceperat ei,
10. congregata multitudine ante petram: dixitque eis: Audite, rebelles et increduli: num de petra hac vobis aquam poterimus ejicere?
11. Cumque elevasset Moyses manum, percutiens virga bis silicem, egressæ sunt aquæ largissimæ, ita ut populus biberet et jumenta.
12. Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron: Quia non credidistis mihi, ut sanctificaretis me coram filiis Israël, non introducetis hos populos in terram, quam dabo eis.
13. Hæc est aqua contradictionis, ubi jurgati sunt filii Israël contra Dominum, et sanctificatus est in eis.
14. Misit interea nuntios Moyses de Cades ad regem Edom, qui dicerent: Hæc mandat frater tuus Israël: Nosti omnem laborem qui apprehendit nos,
15. quomodo descenderint patres nostri in Ægyptum, et habitaverimus ibi multo tempore, afflixerintque nos Ægyptii, et patres nostros:
16. et quomodo clamaverimus ad Dominum, et exaudierit nos, miseritque angelum, qui eduxerit nos de Ægypto. Ecce in urbe Cades, quæ est in extremis finibus tuis, positi,
17. obsecramus ut nobis transire liceat per terram tuam. Non ibimus per agros, nec per vineas; non bibemus aquas de puteis tuis: sed gradiemur via publica, nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram declinantes, donec transeamus terminos tuos.
18. Cui respondit Edom: Non transibis per me, alioquin armatus occurram tibi.
19. Dixeruntque filii Israël: Per tritam gradiemur viam: et si biberimus aquas tuas, nos et pecora nostra, dabimus quod justum est: nulla erit in pretio difficultas, tantum velociter transeamus.
20. At ille respondit: Non transibis. Statimque egressus est obvius, cum infinita multitudo, et manu forti,
21. nec voluit acquiescere deprecanti, ut concederet transitum per fines suos. Quam ob rem divertit ab eo Israël.
22. Cumque castra movissent de Cades, venerunt in montem Hor, qui est in finibus terræ Edom:
23. ubi locutus est Dominus ad Moysen:
24. Pergat, inquit, Aaron ad populos suos: non enim intrabit terram, quam dedi filiis Israël, eo quod incredulus fuerit ori meo, ad aquas contradictionis.
25. Tolle Aaron et filium ejus cum eo, et duces eos in montem Hor.
26. Cumque nudaveris patrem veste sua, indues ea Eleazarum filium ejus: Aaron colligetur, et morietur ibi.
27. Fecit Moyses ut præceperat Dominus: et ascenderunt in montem Hor coram omni multitudine.
28. Cumque Aaron spoliasset vestibus suis, induit eis Eleazarum filium ejus.
29. Illo mortuo in montis supercilio, descendit cum Eleazaro.
30. Omnis autem multitudo videns occubuisse Aaron, flevit super eo triginta diebus per cunctas familias suas.

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 11: This rock was a figure of Christ, and the water that issued out from the rock, of his precious blood, the source of all our good.
- Verse 12: The fault of Moses and Aaron, on this occasion, was a certain diffidence and weakness of faith; not doubting of God's power or veracity; but apprehending the unworthiness of that rebellious and incredulous people, and therefore speaking with some ambiguity.
- Verse 13: “The Water of contradiction” … Or strife. Hebrew, Meribah.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Thu, Aug 5, 2027 (computed): Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Numbers 20:1-13

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).