Water from the Rock
1 Then pulled up
all the congregation of
the children of Israel,
to pull up according to the
mouth of Yahweh,
and camped in Rephidim.
But there was no water
for the people to drink.
2 So the people contended with Moses.
And they said,
"Give us water so we may drink."
3 But Moses said to them,
"Why do you contend with me?
Why do you test Yahweh?"
3 But the people thirsted there for water.
So the people grumbled against Moses.
And said, "Why is this,
that you have brought us up out of Egypt,
to kill us, and out children,
and our cattle with thirst?"
4 Then Moses shrieked to
Yahweh [God],
saying, "What shall I do for this people?
They are almost ready to stone me?"
5 So Yahweh [God]
said to Moses,
"Pass by before the people,
and take with you the elders of Israel,
and your staff
with which you smote the canal,
take it in your hand,
and go."
6 "Behold I will stand before
you
there on the rock,
in Horeb.
And you shall smite the rock,
and water shall come out of it,
and the people shall drink.
And Moses did so
in the eyes of the elders of Israel.
7 And he called the name of
the place
Massah, and
Meribah, because the children
of Israel contended (riyb),
and because they tested (nacah)
Yahweh, saying,
"Is Yahweh among us or not?"
War with Amalek
8 Then Amalek came
and fought against Israel in Rephidim.
9 So Moses said to Joshua,
"Chose for us men,
and go out and fight against Amalek.
Tomorrow I will stand
on the top of the hill,
with the staff of God in my hand."
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him,
and fought against Amalek,
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur
went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it happened,
whenever Moses held up his hand,
that Israel prevailed.
But whenever he let down his hand,
that Amalek prevailed.
12 But the hand of Moses grew heavy,
so they took a stone and put it under him,
and he sat upon it.
Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands,
one on one side,
and on on the other.
So his hands were steady
until the sun went down.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek
and his people
by the edge of the sword.
Priestly Memorial
14 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
"Scribe this as a memorial on a scroll,
and retell it in the ears of Joshua,
for I will utterly wipe out (Gen 6:7)
the memory of Amalek
from under the heavens.
15 So Moses built and altar,
and called the name of it,
Yahweh Nissi. (my banner)
16 And he said,
"For a hand raised up
as the banner of Yah,
the battle belongs to Yahweh
against Amalek,
from generation to generation."