Exodus 17:2-7

Living Bible

² So once more the people growled and complained to Moses. “Give us water!” they wailed.

“Quiet!” Moses commanded. “Are you trying to test God’s patience with you?”

³ But, tormented by thirst, they cried out, “Why did you ever take us out of Egypt? Why did you bring us here to die, with our children and cattle too?”

⁴ Then Moses pleaded with Jehovah. “What shall I do? For they are almost ready to stone me.”

^5-6 Then Jehovah said to Moses, “Take the elders of Israel with you and lead the people out to Mount Horeb. I will meet you there at the rock. Strike it with your rod^[a]—the same one you struck the Nile with—and water will come pouring out, enough for everyone!” Moses did as he was told, and the water gushed out! ⁷ Moses named the place Massah (meaning “tempting Jehovah to slay us”), and sometimes they referred to it as Meribah (meaning “argument” and “strife!”)—for it was there that the people of Israel argued against God and tempted him to slay them^[b] by saying, “Is Jehovah going to take care of us or not?”