Exodus 17Previous Chapter | Next ChapterGod Provides Water From a Rock1The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from the desertOr wildernessof Sin, traveling from place to place according to the commandLit. mouthof the LORD. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.2The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”3But the people were thirsty there for water and theyLit. the peoplecomplained against Moses, saying, “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”4So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with these people? Just a little more and they’ll stone me.”5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.6I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You shall strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel.7He named the place MassahMassah means “Testing” in Heb.and Meribah,Meribah means “Quarreling” in Heb.because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD really among us or not?” The Amalekites Fight the Israelites8Then the Amalekites came and fought with the Israelites at Rephidim.9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out to fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I’ll stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”10So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.11Whenever Moses raised his hand, the Israelites prevailed, but when his hand remained at his side,Lit. restedthen the Amalekites prevailed.12When Moses’ hands became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down.13Joshua defeatedOr weakenedthe Amalekites and his people with the sword.14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it toLit. put it in the ear ofJoshua: ‘I’ll certainly wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.’”15Moses built an altar and named it “The LORD Is My Banner.”16He said, “A hand has been lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will wage war against Amalek from generation to generation.”
of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command
