Bitter Water Made Sweet

22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of (A)Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to (B)Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.[a] 24 And the people (C)grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he (D)cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log,[b] and he (E)threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord[c] made for them a statute and a rule, and there he (F)tested them, 26 saying, (G)“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the (H)diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, (I)your healer.”

27 Then (J)they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitterness
  2. Exodus 15:25 Or tree
  3. Exodus 15:25 Hebrew he

God Provides Water for the People

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Reed[a] Sea and they went to the desert of Shur. They traveled into the desert for three days and did not find water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter. (That is why it’s called[b] Marah.)[c] 24 Then the people complained against Moses: “What are we to drink?” 25 Moses[d] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he threw into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord[e] presented to them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them. 26 He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what he sees to be right, listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I won’t inflict on you all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, because I am the Lord your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees, and they camped there by the water.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:22 So MT; LXX reads Red
  2. Exodus 15:23 Lit. why one calls its name
  3. Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitter in Heb.
  4. Exodus 15:25 Lit. He
  5. Exodus 15:25 Lit. he