Numbers 20:19
New International Version
The Israelites replied: “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”

New Living Translation
The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.”

English Standard Version
And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”

Berean Standard Bible
“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.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.

New American Standard Bible
Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the road, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing more.

NASB 1995
Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.”

NASB 1977
Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We shall go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.

Legacy Standard Bible
Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.”

Amplified Bible
Again, the Israelites said to him, “We will go by the highway [trade route], and if I and my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it. Only let me pass through on foot, nothing else.”

Christian Standard Bible
“We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price. There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price. There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the children of Israel said to him: “We will go up by the road, and if we will drink from your waters, we and our animals, we will give their price, only on our feet let us pass.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the children of Israel say to him, We will pass by the mountain; and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, I will pay thee: but it is no matter of importance, we will go by the mountain.

Contemporary English Version
Moses sent back this message: "We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And 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.

English Revised Version
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 any thing else, pass through on my feet.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Israelites replied, "We'll stay on the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we'll pay for it. We want to pass through on foot. That's all."

Good News Translation
The people of Israel said, "We will stay on the main road, and if we or our animals drink any of your water, we will pay for it--all we want is to pass through."

International Standard Version
Then the Israelis replied, "Permit us to travel on the highway. If we and our cattle drink your water, we'll pay the price you ask. Only please let us walk through, and nothing more."

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 pass through on my feet; there is no hurt.'

Literal Standard Version
And the sons of Israel say to him, “We go in the highway, and if we drink of your waters—I and my livestock—then I have given their price; only, let me pass over on my feet, nothing [more].”

Majority Standard Bible
“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.”

New American Bible
The Israelites said to him, “We will go up along the highway. If we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. It is nothing—just let us pass through on foot.”

NET Bible
Then the Israelites said to him, "We will go along the highway, and if we or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We will only pass through on our feet, without doing anything else."

New Revised Standard Version
The Israelites said to him, “We will stay on the highway; and if we drink of your water, we and our livestock, then we will pay for it. It is only a small matter; just let us pass through on foot.”

New Heart English Bible
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."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the children of Israel said to him, We will go by the highway: 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.

World English Bible
The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

Young's Literal Translation
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.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Edom Refuses Passage
18But 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.” 20But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.…

Cross References
Exodus 12:38
And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.

Deuteronomy 2:6
You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'"

Deuteronomy 2:28
You can sell us food to eat and water to drink in exchange for silver. Only let us pass through on foot,

1 Samuel 6:12
And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.


Treasury of Scripture

And the children of Israel said to him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of your water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.

Deuteronomy 2:6,28
Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink…

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Cattle Children Drink High Highway Hurt Israel Israelites Livestock Main Pay Price Road Thereof Water Way
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Cattle Children Drink High Highway Hurt Israel Israelites Livestock Main Pay Price Road Thereof Water Way
Numbers 20
1. The children of Israel come to Zin, where Miriam dies.
2. They murmur for want of water
7. Moses smiting the rock, brings forth water at Meribah
14. Moses at Kadesh desires passage through Edom, which is denied him
22. At Mount Hor Aaron resigns his place to Eleazar, and dies














(19) I will only, without doing anything else . . . --Literally, Only--it is nothing--let me pass through on my feet.

Verse 19. - And the children of Israel said, i.e., probably, the messengers sent by Moses. By the highway. בַּמְסִלָּה. The Septuagint translates παρὰ τὸ ὄρος, but no doubt the word means a "high road" in the original sense of a raised causeway (cf. Isaiah 57:14). Such a road is still called Derb es Sultan - Emperor-road. I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet. Rather, "It is nothing;" (רַק אֵין־דָּבָר. Septuagint, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐδέν ἐστι) "I will go through on my feet." They meant, "We do not ask for anything of value, only leave to pass through."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“We will stay
נַעֲלֶה֒ (na·‘ă·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

on the main road,”
בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה (bam·sil·lāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4546: A thoroughfare, a viaduct, a staircase

the Israelites
בְּנֵֽי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

replied,
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“and if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

we
אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

or our herds
וּמִקְנַ֔י (ū·miq·nay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4735: Something bought, property, livestock, acquisition

drink
נִשְׁתֶּה֙ (niš·teh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

your water,
מֵימֶ֤יךָ (mê·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

we will pay
וְנָתַתִּ֖י (wə·nā·ṯat·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

for it.
מִכְרָ֑ם (miḵ·rām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4377: Merchandise, value

There will be no
אֵין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

problem;
דָּבָ֖ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

only
רַ֥ק (raq)
Adverb
Strong's 7535: But, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless

let us pass through
אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃ (’e·‘ĕ·ḇō·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

on foot.”
בְּרַגְלַ֥י (bə·raḡ·lay)
Preposition-b | Noun - fdc | first person common singular
Strong's 7272: A foot, a step, the pudenda


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OT Law: Numbers 20:19 The children of Israel said to him (Nu Num.)
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