Add parallel Print Page Options

Water from the Rock

17 The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.(A) So the people complained to Moses, ‘Give us water to drink.’

‘Why are you complaining to me? ’ Moses replied to them. ‘Why are you testing(B) the Lord? ’

But the people thirsted there for water and grumbled against Moses. They said, ‘Why did you ever bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? ’(C)

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me! ’(D)

The Lord answered Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water(E) will come out of it and the people will drink.’ Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b](F) because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not? ’

The Amalekites Attack

At Rephidim, Amalek[c](G) came and fought against Israel. Moses said to Joshua,(H) ‘Select some men for us and go and fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.’

10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 While Moses held up his hand,[d] Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand[e] down, Amalek prevailed.(I) 12 When Moses’s hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army[f] with the sword.

14 The Lord then said to Moses, ‘Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.’(J)

15 And Moses built an altar(K) and named it, ‘The Lord Is My Banner.’[g] 16 He said, ‘Indeed, my hand is lifted up towards[h] the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.’

Footnotes

  1. 17:7 = Testing
  2. 17:7 = Quarrelling
  3. 17:8 A seminomadic people descended from Amalek, a grandson of Esau; Gn 36:12
  4. 17:11 Sam, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read hands
  5. 17:11 Sam, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read hands
  6. 17:13 Or people
  7. 17:15 = Yahweh-nissi
  8. 17:16 Or hand was on, or hand was against; Hb obscure

Water from the Rock(A)

17 Then (B)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of (C)Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to (D)drink. (E)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you (F)tempt the Lord?”

And the people thirsted there for water, and the people (G)complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our (H)livestock with thirst?”

So Moses (I)cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to (J)stone[a] me!”

And the Lord said to Moses, (K)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which (L)you struck the river, and go. (M)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place (N)Massah[b] and [c]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they [d]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Victory over the Amalekites(O)

(P)Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with (Q)the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses (R)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became [e]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, (S)“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that (T)I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [f]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [g]the Lord has (U)sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:4 Put me to death by stoning
  2. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Tempted
  3. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Contention
  4. Exodus 17:7 tested
  5. Exodus 17:12 Weary of being held up
  6. Exodus 17:15 Heb. YHWH Nissi
  7. Exodus 17:16 Lit. a hand is upon the throne of the Lord