Exodus 17
17
Water from a Rock
1The whole Israelite community left the Desert of Sin. They traveled from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim. But there was no water there for the people to drink. 2So they quarreled with Moses. They said, “Give us water to drink.”
But Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”
3But the people were very thirsty for water. So they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to kill us, our children and our farm animals with thirst?”
4So Moses cried to the Lord, “What can I do with these people? They are almost ready to kill me with stones.”
5The Lord said to Moses, “Go ahead of the people of Israel. And take some of the elders of Israel with you. Carry with you the walking stick that you used to strike the Nile River. Now go! 6I will stand in front of you on a rock at Mount Sinai. Hit that rock with the stick, and water will come out of it. Then the people can drink.” Moses did these things as the elders of Israel watched. 7Moses named that place Massah# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “testing.” because the Israelites tested the Lord. They asked, “Is the Lord with us or not?” He also named it Meribah# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “quarreled.” because they quarreled.
The Amalekites Fight Israel
8At Rephidim the Amalekites came and fought the Israelites. 9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men and go and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill. I will hold the stick God gave me to carry.”
10Joshua obeyed Moses and went to fight the Amalekites. At the same time Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites would win the fight. But when Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites would win. 12Later, Moses’ arms became tired. So the men put a large rock under Moses, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands. Aaron was on one side of Moses, and Hur was on the other side. They held his hands up like this until the sun went down. 13So Joshua defeated the Amalekites in this battle.
14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write about this battle in a book so people will remember. And be sure to tell Joshua. Tell him because I will completely destroy the Amalekites from the earth.”
15Then Moses built an altar. He named it The Lord is my Banner. 16Moses said, “I lifted my hands toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will fight against the Amalekites forever.”
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Exodus 17
17
Water from a Rock
1And all the community of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” set out from the desert of Sin for their journeys according to the command of Yahweh, and they camped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. 2And the people quarreled with Moses, and they said, “Give us water so that we can drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?” 3And the people thirsted for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why ever#Or “at all”; literally “this” did you bring us up from Egypt to kill me#The unexpected switch to first-person singular pronouns reflects the fact that the question summarizes a host of angry accusations and self-centered concern and my sons and my cattle with thirst?”
4And Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “What will I do with this people? A little longer and they will stone me.” 5And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go on before the people and take with you some from the elders of Israel, and the staff with which you struck the Nile take in your hand, and go. 6Look, I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out from it, and the people will drink.”
And Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” and because of their testing Yahweh by saying, “Is Yahweh in our midst or not?”
Battle with the Amalekites
8And Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out, fight against Amalek tomorrow. I will be standing on the top of the hill, and the staff of God will be in my hand.”
10And Joshua did as Moses had said to him to fight with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11And#Literally “and it would be” when Moses raised his hand, Israel would prevail, but when he rested his hand, Amalek would prevail. 12But the hands of Moses were heavy, and they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it; Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side,#Or “one on one side and one on the other”; literally “one from this and one from this” and his hands were steady until sundown.#Literally “the coming in of the sun” 13And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.#Literally “mouth of the sword”
14And Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the scroll and recite it in the hearing of#Literally “and put in the ears of” Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.”
15And Moses built an altar, and he called its name Yahweh Is My Banner. 16And he said, “Because a hand was against the throne of Yah,#Or “indeed a hand on the throne of Yah”; the phrase is unclear a war will be for Yahweh with Amalek from generation to generation.”
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