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Bitter Water at Marah

22 Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. 23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).

24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. 25 So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. 26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

27 After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.

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The Lord Provides Water

22 (A)Then Moses [a]led Israel from the [b]Red Sea, and they went out into (B)the wilderness of (C)Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to (D)Marah, they could not drink the waters [c]of Marah, because they were [d]bitter; for that reason it was named [e]Marah. 24 So the people (E)grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then he (F)cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him (G)a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:22 Lit caused Israel to journey
  2. Exodus 15:22 Lit Sea of Reeds
  3. Exodus 15:23 Lit from
  4. Exodus 15:23 Heb Marim
  5. Exodus 15:23 I.e., bitterness