The Song of Moses and Israel

15 (A)Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, [a]saying:

[b](B)I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted;
(C)The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
[c](D)The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
(E)This is my God, and I will praise Him;
(F)My father’s God, and I will (G)exalt Him.
(H)The Lord is a warrior;
[d](I)The Lord is His name.
(J)Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has thrown into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are [e]drowned in the [f]Red Sea.
The waters cover them;
(K)They went down into the depths like a stone.
(L)Your right hand, Lord, is majestic in power;
(M)Your right hand, Lord, destroys the enemy.
And in the greatness of Your [g]excellence You (N)overthrow those who rise up against You;
(O)You send out Your burning anger, and it (P)consumes them like chaff.
(Q)At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up,
(R)The flowing waters stood up like a heap;
The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
(S)The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will (T)divide the spoils;
[h]I shall [i]be satisfied against them;
I will draw my sword, my hand will [j]destroy them.’
10 (U)You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;
(V)They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 (W)Who is like You among the gods, Lord?
Who is like You, (X)majestic in holiness,
(Y)Awesome in praises, (Z)working wonders?
12 (AA)You reached out with Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.
13 In Your [k]faithfulness You have (AB)led the people whom You have (AC)redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them (AD)to Your holy habitation.
14 (AE)The peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the (AF)chiefs of Edom were terrified;
(AG)The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
(AH)All the inhabitants of Canaan have despaired.
16 (AI)Terror and dread fall upon them;
(AJ)By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone,
Until Your people pass over, Lord,
Until the people pass over whom You (AK)have purchased.
17 (AL)You will bring them and (AM)plant them in (AN)the mountain of Your inheritance,
(AO)The place, Lord, which You have made as Your dwelling,
(AP)The sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 (AQ)The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

19 (AR)For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on (AS)dry land through the midst of the sea.

20 (AT)Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the (AU)tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with [l](AV)dancing. 21 And Miriam answered them,

(AW)Sing to the Lord, for He [m]is highly exalted;
The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

The Lord Provides Water

22 (AX)Then Moses [n]led Israel from the [o]Red Sea, and they went out into (AY)the wilderness of (AZ)Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to (BA)Marah, they could not drink the waters [p]of Marah, because they were [q]bitter; for that reason it was named [r]Marah. 24 So the people (BB)grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then he (BC)cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him (BD)a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There He (BE)made for them a statute and regulation, and there He (BF)tested them. 26 And He said, “(BG)If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen (BH)to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, (BI)I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, (BJ)the Lord, am your healer.”

27 Then they came to (BK)Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

The Lord Provides Manna

16 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of (BL)Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on (BM)the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel (BN)grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “(BO)If only we had died by the Lords hand in the land of Egypt, (BP)when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (BQ)I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may (BR)test them, whether or not they will walk in My [s]instruction. (BS)On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening [t](BT)you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning [u]you will see (BU)the glory of the Lord, for (BV)He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and (BW)what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

And Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are (BX)not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘(BY)Come forward before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10 And it came about, as Aaron spoke to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, that they [v]looked toward the wilderness, and behold, (BZ)the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (CA)I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘[w]At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and (CB)you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 So it came about at evening that (CC)the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning (CD)there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 (CE)When the layer of dew [x]evaporated, behold, on the [y]surface of the wilderness (CF)there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “[z]What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “(CG)It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is [aa]what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone gather [ab]as much as he will eat; you shall take [ac](CH)an omer apiece according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18 When they measured it by the [ad]omer, (CI)the one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little; everyone gathered [ae]as much as he would eat. 19 Moses said to them, “(CJ)No one is to leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone [af]as much as he would eat; but when the sun became hot, it would melt.

The Sabbath

22 (CK)Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, [ag]two omers for each one. When all the (CL)leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord [ah]meant: (CM)Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and (CN)all that is left over [ai]put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and (CO)it did not stink nor was there a maggot in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (CP)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be [aj]none.”

27 Yet it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(CQ)How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My [ak]instructions? 29 See, [al]the Lord has given you the Sabbath; for that reason He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain, everyone, in his place; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of (CR)Israel named the bread [am]manna, and it was like (CS)coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. 32 Then Moses said, “This is [an]what the Lord has commanded: ‘A [ao]full omer of it is to be kept safe throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “(CT)Take a jar and put a [ap]full omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept safe throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before (CU)the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And (CV)the sons of Israel ate the manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (Now (CW)an [aq]omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

Water in the Rock

17 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by [ar]stages from the wilderness of (CX)Sin, according to the [as]command of the Lord, and camped at (CY)Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. So the people (CZ)quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water so that we may drink!” And Moses said to them, “(DA)Why do you quarrel with me? (DB)Why do you test the Lord?” But the people were thirsty for water there; and [at]they (DC)grumbled against Moses and said, “Why is it that you have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill [au]us and [av]our children and [aw](DD)our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What am I to do with this people? A (DE)little more and they will stone me!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of (DF)the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which (DG)you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at (DH)Horeb; and (DI)you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Then he named the place [ax](DJ)Massah and [ay](DK)Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they (DL)tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”

Miraculous Battle against Amalek

Then (DM)Amalek came and fought against Israel at (DN)Rephidim. So Moses said to (DO)Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with (DP)the staff of God in my hand.” 10 Joshua did just as Moses [az]told him, [ba]and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and (DQ)Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 So it came about, when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed; but when he let his hand [bb]down, Amalek prevailed. 12 And Moses’ hands were heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur (DR)supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 And Joshua [bc]defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(DS)Write this in [bd]a book as a memorial and [be]recite it to Joshua, [bf]that (DT)I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an (DU)altar and named it (DV)The Lord is My Banner; 16 and he said, “[bg](DW)Because the Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:1 Lit and said, saying
  2. Exodus 15:1 Or Let me sing
  3. Exodus 15:2 Heb Yah
  4. Exodus 15:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  5. Exodus 15:4 Lit sunk
  6. Exodus 15:4 Lit Sea of Reeds
  7. Exodus 15:7 Or exaltation
  8. Exodus 15:9 Lit My soul
  9. Exodus 15:9 Lit be filled with them
  10. Exodus 15:9 Or dispossess; or drive them out
  11. Exodus 15:13 Or mercy
  12. Exodus 15:20 Lit dances
  13. Exodus 15:21 Or has triumphed gloriously
  14. Exodus 15:22 Lit caused Israel to journey
  15. Exodus 15:22 Lit Sea of Reeds
  16. Exodus 15:23 Lit from
  17. Exodus 15:23 Heb Marim
  18. Exodus 15:23 I.e., bitterness
  19. Exodus 16:4 Or law
  20. Exodus 16:6 Lit and you
  21. Exodus 16:7 Lit and you
  22. Exodus 16:10 Lit turned
  23. Exodus 16:12 Lit Between the two evenings
  24. Exodus 16:14 Lit had gone up
  25. Exodus 16:14 Lit face of
  26. Exodus 16:15 Heb Man hu, cf. v 31
  27. Exodus 16:16 Lit the thing which
  28. Exodus 16:16 Lit according to his eating
  29. Exodus 16:16 Lit an omer for a head; about 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  30. Exodus 16:18 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  31. Exodus 16:18 Lit according to his eating
  32. Exodus 16:21 Lit according to his eating
  33. Exodus 16:22 About 6 qt. or 5.6 liters
  34. Exodus 16:23 Lit spoke
  35. Exodus 16:23 Lit lay up for you
  36. Exodus 16:26 Lit none on it
  37. Exodus 16:28 Or laws
  38. Exodus 16:29 Lit for the Lord
  39. Exodus 16:31 Heb man, cf. v 15
  40. Exodus 16:32 Lit the thing which
  41. Exodus 16:32 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  42. Exodus 16:33 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  43. Exodus 16:36 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  44. Exodus 17:1 Lit their journeyings
  45. Exodus 17:1 Lit mouth
  46. Exodus 17:3 Lit the people
  47. Exodus 17:3 Lit me
  48. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  49. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  50. Exodus 17:7 I.e., test
  51. Exodus 17:7 I.e., quarrel
  52. Exodus 17:10 Lit said to
  53. Exodus 17:10 Lit to fight
  54. Exodus 17:11 Lit rest
  55. Exodus 17:13 Lit weakened
  56. Exodus 17:14 Lit the book
  57. Exodus 17:14 Lit place it in the ears of
  58. Exodus 17:14 Or for
  59. Exodus 17:16 Or Because a hand is against the throne of the Lord; lit Because a hand upon the throne of Yah

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song(A) to the Lord:

“I will sing(B) to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(C)
    he has hurled into the sea.(D)

“The Lord is my strength(E) and my defense[a];
    he has become my salvation.(F)
He is my God,(G) and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt(H) him.
The Lord is a warrior;(I)
    the Lord is his name.(J)
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army(K)
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.[b]
The deep waters(L) have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.(M)
Your right hand,(N) Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand,(O) Lord,
    shattered(P) the enemy.

“In the greatness of your majesty(Q)
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;(R)
    it consumed(S) them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils(T)
    the waters piled up.(U)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;(V)
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.(W)
The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue,(X) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;(Y)
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,(Z)
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.(AA)
11 Who among the gods
    is like you,(AB) Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,(AC)
awesome in glory,(AD)
    working wonders?(AE)

12 “You stretch out(AF) your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.(AG)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead(AH)
    the people you have redeemed.(AI)
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.(AJ)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;(AK)
    anguish(AL) will grip the people of Philistia.(AM)
15 The chiefs(AN) of Edom(AO) will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,(AP)
the people[c] of Canaan will melt(AQ) away;
16     terror(AR) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone(AS)
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought[d](AT) pass by.(AU)
17 You will bring(AV) them in and plant(AW) them
    on the mountain(AX) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,(AY)
    the sanctuary,(AZ) Lord, your hands established.

18 “The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever.”(BA)

19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea,(BB) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.(BC) 20 Then Miriam(BD) the prophet,(BE) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels(BF) and dancing.(BG) 21 Miriam sang(BH) to them:

“Sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(BI)
    he has hurled into the sea.”(BJ)

The Waters of Marah and Elim

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert(BK) of Shur.(BL) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.(BM) 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[f](BN)) 24 So the people grumbled(BO) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”(BP)

25 Then Moses cried out(BQ) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw(BR) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.(BS) 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep(BT) all his decrees,(BU) I will not bring on you any of the diseases(BV) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals(BW) you.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped(BX) there near the water.

Manna and Quail

16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,(BY) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.(BZ) In the desert the whole community grumbled(CA) against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!(CB) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food(CC) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”(CD)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven(CE) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test(CF) them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice(CG) as much as they gather on the other days.”

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,(CH) and in the morning you will see the glory(CI) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling(CJ) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”(CK) Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling(CL) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”(CM)

Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory(CN) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.(CO)

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling(CP) of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”(CQ)

13 That evening quail(CR) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew(CS) around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost(CT) on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know(CU) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread(CV) the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer[g](CW) for each person you have in your tent.’”

17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.(CX) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”(CY)

20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.(CZ) So Moses was angry(DA) with them.

21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice(DB) as much—two omers[h] for each person—and the leaders of the community(DC) came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath(DD) to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,(DE) there will not be any.”

27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[i] refuse to keep my commands(DF) and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The people of Israel called the bread manna.[j](DG) It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna(DH) in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”

34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law,(DI) so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna(DJ) forty years,(DK) until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.(DL)

36 (An omer(DM) is one-tenth of an ephah.)(DN)

Water From the Rock

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

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

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

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone(DX) 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(DY) with which you struck the Nile,(DZ) and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.(EA) Strike(EB) the rock, and water(EC) 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[k](ED) and Meribah[l](EE) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Amalekites Defeated

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

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur(EJ) went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,(EK) 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.(EL) 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite(EM) army with the sword.

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

15 Moses built an altar(EQ) and called(ER) it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[m] the throne of the Lord,[n] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites(ES) from generation to generation.”(ET)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:2 Or song
  2. Exodus 15:4 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22
  3. Exodus 15:15 Or rulers
  4. Exodus 15:16 Or created
  5. Exodus 15:19 Or charioteers
  6. Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitter.
  7. Exodus 16:16 That is, possibly about 3 pounds or about 1.4 kilograms; also in verses 18, 32, 33 and 36
  8. Exodus 16:22 That is, possibly about 6 pounds or about 2.8 kilograms
  9. Exodus 16:28 The Hebrew is plural.
  10. Exodus 16:31 Manna sounds like the Hebrew for What is it? (see verse 15).
  11. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
  12. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
  13. Exodus 17:16 Or to
  14. Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

The Golden Calf

32 Now when the people saw that Moses (A)delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to him, “Come, (B)make us [a]a god who will go before us; for (C)this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.” Aaron said to them, “(D)Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then he took the gold from their [b]hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a (E)cast metal calf; and they said, “[c]This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” So the next day they got up early and (F)offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and (G)the people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up (H)to engage in lewd behavior.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go [d]down at once, for your people, whom (I)you brought up from the land of Egypt, have (J)behaved corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. (K)They have made for themselves a cast metal calf, and have worshiped it and (L)have sacrificed to it and said, ‘[e](M)This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” (N)Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are [f](O)an obstinate people. 10 So now (P)leave Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and (Q)I will make of you a great nation.”

Moses’ Plea

11 Then (R)Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should (S)the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘With evil motives He brought them out, to kill them on the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent of doing harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You (T)swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will (U)multiply your [g]descendants as the stars of the heavens, and (V)all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your [h]descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 (W)So the Lord relented of the harm which He said He would do to His people.

15 (X)Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, (Y)tablets which were written on both [i]sides; they were written on one side and the other. 16 The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. 17 Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people [j]as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” 18 But he said,

“It is not the sound of the cry of victory,
Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat;
But I hear the sound of singing.”

Moses’ Anger

19 And it came about, as soon as [k]Moses approached the camp, that (Z)he saw the calf and the people dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and (AA)he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them to pieces [l]at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then (AB)he took the calf which they had made and completely burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, (AC)that they are [m]prone to evil. 23 For (AD)they said to me, ‘Make [n]a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ Then they gave it to me, and (AE)I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were [o]out of control—for Aaron had (AF)let them [p]get out of control to the point of being an object of ridicule among [q]their enemies— 26 Moses then stood at the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 And he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Every man of you put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his [r]neighbor.’” 28 So (AG)the sons of Levi did [s]as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “[t]Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”

30 And on the next day Moses said to the people, “(AH)You yourselves have [u]committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord; perhaps I can (AI)make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, this people has [v]committed a great sin, and they have made a (AJ)god of gold for themselves! 32 But now, if You will forgive their sin, very well; but if not, please wipe me out from Your (AK)book which You have written!” 33 However, the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, (AL)I will wipe him out of My book. 34 But go now, lead the people (AM)where I told you. Behold, (AN)My angel shall go before you; nevertheless (AO)on the day when I [w]punish, (AP)I will [x]punish them for their sin.” 35 (AQ)Then the Lord struck the people with a plague, because of (AR)what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 32:1 Or gods
  2. Exodus 32:4 Lit hand
  3. Exodus 32:4 Or These are your gods
  4. Exodus 32:7 Lit go down
  5. Exodus 32:8 Or These are your gods
  6. Exodus 32:9 Or a stiff-necked
  7. Exodus 32:13 Lit seed
  8. Exodus 32:13 Lit seed
  9. Exodus 32:15 Lit their sides
  10. Exodus 32:17 Lit in its shouting
  11. Exodus 32:19 Lit he
  12. Exodus 32:19 Lit beneath
  13. Exodus 32:22 Lit in evil
  14. Exodus 32:23 Or gods
  15. Exodus 32:25 Lit let loose
  16. Exodus 32:25 Lit go loose
  17. Exodus 32:25 Lit those who rise against them
  18. Exodus 32:27 Or kin
  19. Exodus 32:28 Lit according to Moses’ word
  20. Exodus 32:29 Lit Fill your hand
  21. Exodus 32:30 Lit sinned
  22. Exodus 32:31 Lit sinned
  23. Exodus 32:34 Lit visit
  24. Exodus 32:34 Lit visit their sin upon them

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,(A) they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before(B) us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”(C)

Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings(D) that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol(E) cast in the shape of a calf,(F) fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b](G) Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”(H)

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival(I) to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.(J) Afterward they sat down to eat and drink(K) and got up to indulge in revelry.(L)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,(M) have become corrupt.(N) They have been quick to turn away(O) from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol(P) cast in the shape of a calf.(Q) They have bowed down to it and sacrificed(R) to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’(S)

“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked(T) people. 10 Now leave me alone(U) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy(V) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”(W)

11 But Moses sought the favor(X) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?(Y) 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?(Z) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster(AA) on your people. 13 Remember(AB) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:(AC) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars(AD) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land(AE) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented(AF) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

15 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law(AG) in his hands.(AH) They were inscribed(AI) on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.(AJ)

17 When Joshua(AK) heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

18 Moses replied:

“It is not the sound of victory,
    it is not the sound of defeat;
    it is the sound of singing that I hear.”

19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf(AL) and the dancing,(AM) his anger burned(AN) and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces(AO) at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf the people had made and burned(AP) it in the fire; then he ground it to powder,(AQ) scattered it on the water(AR) and made the Israelites drink it.

21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

22 “Do not be angry,(AS) my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil.(AT) 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’(AU) 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”(AV)

25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock(AW) to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.

27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”(AX) 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.(AY) But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement(AZ) for your sin.”

31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!(BA) They have made themselves gods of gold.(BB) 32 But now, please forgive their sin(BC)—but if not, then blot me(BD) out of the book(BE) you have written.”

33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out(BF) of my book. 34 Now go, lead(BG) the people to the place(BH) I spoke of, and my angel(BI) will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,(BJ) I will punish them for their sin.”

35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf(BK) Aaron had made.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 32:1 Or a god; also in verses 23 and 31
  2. Exodus 32:4 Or This is your god; also in verse 8

Arad Conquered

21 When the Canaanite, the king of (A)Arad, who lived in the [a]Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. So (B)Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed hand over this people to me, then I will [b]utterly destroy their cities.” The Lord heard the voice of Israel and turned over the Canaanites; then they [c]utterly destroyed them and their cities. And the place was named [d](C)Hormah.

Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the [e]Red Sea, to (D)go around the land of Edom; and the [f]people became impatient because of the journey. So the people spoke against God and Moses: “(E)Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no [g]food and no water, and [h](F)we are disgusted with [i]this miserable food.”

The Bronze Serpent

(G)Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and (H)they bit the people, so that (I)many people of Israel died. (J)So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you; (K)intercede with the Lord, that He will remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “[j]Make a (L)fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live.” So Moses made a (M)bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

10 (N)Now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth. 11 Then they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, to the [k]east. 12 (O)From there they set out and camped in [l]Wadi Zered. 13 From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites; (P)for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 For that reason it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

“Waheb in Suphah,
And the [m]wadis of the Arnon,
15 And the slope of the wadis
That extends to the site of (Q)Ar,
And leans to the border of Moab.”

16 (R)From there they continued to [n]Beer, that is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”

17 (S)Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
18 The well, which the leaders dug,
Which the nobles of the people hollowed out,
With the scepter and with their staffs.”

And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah, 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the [o]desert.

Two Victories

21 (T)Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22 (U)Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s road until we have passed through your border.” 23 (V)But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. Instead, Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to (W)Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 Then (X)Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the (Y)border of the sons of Ammon was [p]Jazer. 25 Israel took all these cities, and (Z)Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all her [q]villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 For that reason those who use proverbs say,

“Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!
So let the city of Sihon be established.
28 (AA)For a fire spread from Heshbon,
A flame from the town of Sihon;
It devoured (AB)Ar of Moab,
The [r](AC)dominant [s]heights of the Arnon.
29 (AD)Woe to you, Moab!
You are destroyed, people of (AE)Chemosh!
(AF)He has given his sons as fugitives,
(AG)And his daughters into captivity,
To an Amorite king, Sihon.
30 But we have shot them down with arrows,
Heshbon is destroyed as far as (AH)Dibon,
Then we have laid waste as far as Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.”

31 So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 Now Moses sent men to spy out (AI)Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

33 (AJ)Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out against them [t]with all his people, for battle at (AK)Edrei. 34 But the Lord said to Moses, “(AL)Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” 35 So (AM)they [u]killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor left; and they took possession of his land.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:1 I.e., South country
  2. Numbers 21:2 Lit devote to destruction
  3. Numbers 21:3 Lit devoted to destruction
  4. Numbers 21:3 I.e., a devoted thing; or Destruction
  5. Numbers 21:4 Lit Sea of Reeds
  6. Numbers 21:4 Lit soul of the people was short
  7. Numbers 21:5 Lit bread
  8. Numbers 21:5 Lit our soul is disgusted
  9. Numbers 21:5 I.e., the manna
  10. Numbers 21:8 Lit Make for yourself
  11. Numbers 21:11 Lit sunrise
  12. Numbers 21:12 I.e., a dry stream bed, except in the rainy season
  13. Numbers 21:14 I.e., dry stream beds
  14. Numbers 21:16 I.e., a well
  15. Numbers 21:20 Or Jeshimon
  16. Numbers 21:24 So LXX; MT strong
  17. Numbers 21:25 Lit daughters
  18. Numbers 21:28 Lit lords of the
  19. Numbers 21:28 Or Bamoth
  20. Numbers 21:33 Lit he and
  21. Numbers 21:35 Lit struck

Arad Destroyed

21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,(A) who lived in the Negev,(B) heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. Then Israel made this vow(C) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy[a](D) their cities.” The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites(E) over to them. They completely destroyed them(F) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.[b](G)

The Bronze Snake

They traveled from Mount Hor(H) along the route to the Red Sea,[c](I) to go around Edom.(J) But the people grew impatient on the way;(K) they spoke against God(L) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt(M) to die in the wilderness?(N) There is no bread! There is no water!(O) And we detest this miserable food!”(P)

Then the Lord sent venomous snakes(Q) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.(R) The people came to Moses(S) and said, “We sinned(T) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord(U) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed(V) for the people.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;(W) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake(X) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.(Y)

The Journey to Moab

10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.(Z) 11 Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab(AA) toward the sunrise. 12 From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.(AB) 13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon(AC), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.(AD) 14 That is why the Book of the Wars(AE) of the Lord says:

“. . . Zahab[d] in Suphah and the ravines,
    the Arnon 15 and[e] the slopes of the ravines
that lead to the settlement of Ar(AF)
    and lie along the border of Moab.”

16 From there they continued on to Beer,(AG) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:(AH)

“Spring up, O well!
    Sing about it,
18 about the well that the princes dug,
    that the nobles of the people sank—
    the nobles with scepters and staffs.”

Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah(AI) overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

21 Israel sent messengers(AJ) to say to Sihon(AK) king of the Amorites:(AL)

22 “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.(AM)

23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.(AN) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,(AO) he fought with Israel.(AP) 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword(AQ) and took over his land(AR) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,(AS) but only as far as the Ammonites,(AT) because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites(AU) and occupied them,(AV) including Heshbon(AW) and all its surrounding settlements. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon(AX) king of the Amorites,(AY) who had fought against the former king of Moab(AZ) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.(BA)

27 That is why the poets say:

“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
    let Sihon’s city be restored.

28 “Fire went out from Heshbon,
    a blaze from the city of Sihon.(BB)
It consumed(BC) Ar(BD) of Moab,
    the citizens of Arnon’s heights.(BE)
29 Woe to you, Moab!(BF)
    You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!(BG)
He has given up his sons as fugitives(BH)
    and his daughters as captives(BI)
    to Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 “But we have overthrown them;
    Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon.(BJ)
We have demolished them as far as Nophah,
    which extends to Medeba.(BK)

31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.(BL)

32 After Moses had sent spies(BM) to Jazer,(BN) the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan(BO),(BP) and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.(BQ)

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.(BR)

35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.(BS) And they took possession of his land.(BT)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
  2. Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.
  3. Numbers 21:4 Or the Sea of Reeds
  4. Numbers 21:14 Septuagint; Hebrew Waheb
  5. Numbers 21:15 Or “I have been given from Suphah and the ravines / of the Arnon 15 to