The Lord Gives Water from a Rock
1 The Israelites left the desert and moved from one place to another each time the Lord ordered them to. Once they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for them to drink.
2 The people started complaining to Moses, “Give us some water!”
Moses replied, “Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the Lord to the test?”
3 But the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, “Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?”
4 Then Moses prayed to the Lord, “What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!”
5 The Lord answered, “Take some of the leaders with you and go ahead of the rest of the people. Also take along the walking stick with which you struck the Nile River. 6 When you get to the rock at Mount Sinai, I will be there with you. Strike the rock with the stick, and water will pour out for the people to drink.” Moses did this while the leaders watched.
7 The people had complained and tested the Lord by asking, “Is the Lord really with us?” So Moses named that place Massah, which means “testing” and Meribah, which means “complaining.”
Israel Defeats the Amalekites
8 When the Israelites were at Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites. 9 So Moses told Joshua, “Have some men ready to attack the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on a hilltop, holding this walking stick that has the power of God.”
10 Joshua led the attack as Moses had commanded, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur stood on the hilltop. 11 The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms, but they started losing whenever he lowered them. 12 After a while, his arms were so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms in the same position until sunset. 13 That's how Joshua defeated the Amalekites.
14 Afterwards, the Lord said to Moses, “Write an account of this victory and read it to Joshua. I want the Amalekites to be forgotten forever.”
15 Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord Gives Me Victory.” 16 Then Moses explained, “This is because I depended on the Lord. But in future generations, the Lord will fight the Amalekites again and again.”
1 And all the Congregation of the children of Israel departed from the wildernesse of Sin, by their iourneyes at the commandement of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drinke. 2 Wherefore the people contended with Moses, and sayde, Giue vs water that we may drinke. And Moses sayde vnto them, Why contende yee with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? 3 So the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore hast thou thus brought vs out of Egypt to kill vs and our children and our cattel with thirst? 4 And Moses cried to the Lord, saying, What shall I do to this people? for they be almost ready to stone me. 5 And ye Lord answered to Moses, Goe before the people, and take with thee of the Elders of Israel: and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the riuer, take in thine hand, and go: 6 Behold, I will stand there before thee vpon the rocke in Horeb, and thou shalt smite on the rocke, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drinke. And Moses did so in the sight of the Elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place, Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they had tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among vs, or no? 8 Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses sayde to Ioshua, Chuse vs out men, and go fight with Amalek: to morowe I will stande on the toppe of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10 So Ioshua did as Moses bad him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, went vp to the top of the hill. 11 And when Moses helde vp his hande, Israel preuailed: but when he let his hande downe, Amalek preuailed. 12 Nowe Moses handes were heauy: therefore they tooke a stone and put it vnder him, and hee sate vpon it: and Aaron and Hur stayed vp his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side: so his hands were steady vntill the going downe of the sunne. 13 And Ioshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And the Lord sayde to Moses, Write this for a remembrance in the booke, and rehearse it to Ioshua: for I will vtterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from vnder heauen. 15 (And Moses builte an altar and called the name of it, Iehouah-nissi) 16 Also he said, The Lord hath sworne, that he will haue warre with Amalek from generation to generation.