磐石出水

17 以色列全體會眾按照耶和華的吩咐,從汛曠野啟程,一程一程往前行,來到利非訂安營,可是那裡沒有水喝。 百姓便跟摩西吵鬧,要他給他們水喝。摩西便對他們說:「你們為什麼跟我吵鬧?為什麼試探耶和華?」 百姓非常口渴,他們向摩西抱怨說:「你為什麼要把我們帶出埃及,讓我們一家大小和牲畜都在這裡渴死?」

摩西就呼求耶和華說:「我拿這些百姓怎麼辦?他們準備拿石塊打死我!」 耶和華對摩西說:「你帶著之前擊打尼羅河水的杖,率領以色列的幾個長老走在眾人前面。 我必在何烈的磐石那裡等候你們,你用杖擊打磐石,磐石必流出水來給眾人喝。」摩西便當著以色列長老的面這樣做了。 摩西稱那地方為瑪撒和米利巴[a],因為百姓在那裡吵鬧,又試探耶和華,說:「耶和華真的在我們當中嗎?」

戰勝亞瑪力人

後來,亞瑪力人到利非訂攻打以色列人。 摩西對約書亞說:「選一些人出去迎戰亞瑪力人。明天,我會帶著上帝的杖站在山頂上。」 10 約書亞便遵照摩西的吩咐迎戰亞瑪力人,摩西、亞倫和戶珥站在山頂上。 11 摩西什麼時候舉手,以色列人就得勝;他的手什麼時候垂下來,亞瑪力人就佔上風。 12 不久,摩西的手疲倦發軟,亞倫和戶珥就抬來一塊石頭讓摩西坐下,然後站在他的兩邊扶著他的手,他就穩穩地舉著手,直到日落。 13 這樣,約書亞用刀殺敗了亞瑪力人。

14 耶和華對摩西說:「我要抹去世人對亞瑪力人的記憶。你要把這話記在書卷上作紀念,也要把這話告訴約書亞。」 15 摩西在那裡築了一座壇,稱之為耶和華尼西[b] 16 摩西說:「耶和華已經起誓要世代與亞瑪力人為敵。」

Footnotes

  1. 17·7 瑪撒」意思是「試探」;「米利巴」意思是「爭鬧」。
  2. 17·15 耶和華尼西」意思是「耶和華是我的旌旗」。

Water From the Rock

17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin,(A) traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim,(B) but there was no water(C) for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water(D) to drink.”(E)

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”(F)

But the people were thirsty(G) for water there, and they grumbled(H) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die(I) of thirst?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone(J) me.”

The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff(K) with which you struck the Nile,(L) and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.(M) Strike(N) the rock, and water(O) will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah[a](P) and Meribah[b](Q) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Amalekites Defeated

The Amalekites(R) came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.(S) Moses said to Joshua,(T) “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff(U) of God in my hands.”

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur(V) went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,(W) but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.(X) 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite(Y) army with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write(Z) this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out(AA) the name of Amalek(AB) from under heaven.”

15 Moses built an altar(AC) and called(AD) it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites(AE) from generation to generation.”(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
  2. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
  3. Exodus 17:16 Or to
  4. Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

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