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Water from the Rock

17 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by [a]stages from the wilderness of (A)Sin, according to the [b]command of Yahweh, and they camped at (B)Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people (C)contended with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “(D)Why do you contend with me? (E)Why do you test Yahweh?” But the people thirsted there for water; and [c]they (F)grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to put [d]us and [e]our children and [f](G)our livestock to death with thirst?” So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A (H)little more and they will stone me.” Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of (I)the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which (J)you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at (K)Horeb; and (L)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 named the place [g](M)Massah and [h](N)Meribah because of the contending of the sons of Israel, and because they (O)tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us or not?”

Israel Overwhelms Amalek

Then (P)Amalek came and fought against Israel at (Q)Rephidim. So Moses said to (R)Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on the top of the hill with (S)the staff of God in my hand.” 10 And Joshua did as Moses [i]told him, to fight against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and (T)Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 So it happened when Moses raised his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand [j]down, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur (U)supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 So Joshua [k]overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “(V)Write this in [l]a book as a memorial and [m]recite it in Joshua’s hearing, [n]that (W)I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an (X)altar and named it (Y)Yahweh is My Banner; 16 and he said, “(Z)Because He has sworn with a hand upon the throne of Yah, Yahweh will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:1 Lit their journeyings
  2. Exodus 17:1 Lit mouth
  3. Exodus 17:3 Lit the people
  4. Exodus 17:3 Lit me
  5. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  6. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  7. Exodus 17:7 Lit test
  8. Exodus 17:7 Lit quarrel
  9. Exodus 17:10 Lit said to
  10. Exodus 17:11 Lit rest
  11. Exodus 17:13 Lit weakened
  12. Exodus 17:14 Lit the book
  13. Exodus 17:14 Lit place it in the ears of
  14. Exodus 17:14 Or for

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.