Bitter Waters Made Sweet

²² So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of ^(A)Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no ^(B)water. ²³ Now when they came to ^(C)Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called ^[a]Marah. ²⁴ And the people ^(D)complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” ²⁵ So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. ^(E)When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

There He ^(F)made a statute and an ^[b]ordinance for them, and there ^(G)He tested them, ²⁶ and said, ^(H)“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the ^(I)diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord ^(J)who heals you.”

^27 (K)Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

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. ^2 (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?”

³ 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?”

⁴ 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!”

⁵ 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. ^6 (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. ⁷ 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?”