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17 And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel journeyed from the midbar of Siyn, setting out, according to the commandment of Hashem, and encamped in Rephidim; and there was no mayim for HaAm to drink.

Wherefore the people did chide (quarrel, become dissatisfied with) Moshe, and said, Give us mayim that we may drink. And Moshe said unto them, Why chide ye with me? Why do ye put Hashem to the test?

And HaAm thirsted there for mayim; and the people murmured against Moshe, and said, Why is this that thou hast brought us up out of Mitzrayim, to kill me and my banim and my livestock with tzama (thirst)?

And Moshe cried unto Hashem, saying, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.

And Hashem said unto Moshe, Go on ahead of HaAm, and take with thee Ziknei Yisroel; and thy matteh (staff) wherewith thou struck the Nile, take in thine yad, and go.

Hineni, I will stand before thee there upon the tzur in Chorev; thou shalt strike the tzur, and there shall come mayim out of it, that HaAm may drink. Moshe did so in the sight of the Ziknei Yisroel.

And he called the shem of the place Massah (Testing), and Merivah (Dissatisfaction), because of the riv (chiding, quarreling) of the Bnei Yisroel, and because they put Hashem to the test, saying, Is Hashem among us, or not?

Then came Amalek, and did battle against Yisroel in Rephidim.

And Moshe said unto Yehoshua, Choose for us anashim, and go out, do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the matteh HaElohim in mine yad.

10 So Yehoshua did as Moshe had said to him, and did battle with Amalek; and Moshe, Aharon, and Chur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, as long as Moshe held up his yad, that Yisroel prevailed; and when he let down his yad, Amalek prevailed.

12 When the hands of Moshe grew heavy, they took an even (stone), and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aharon and Chur supported his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands held emunah (steady) until bo hashemesh (sunset).

13 And Yehoshua disabled Amalek and his army with the edge of the cherev.

14 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Write this for a zikaron (memorial, remembering) in a sefer, and rehearse it in the ears of Yehoshua; for I will utterly efface the memory of Amalek from under Shomayim.

15 And Moshe built a Mizbe’ach, and called the shem of it Hashem Nissi (Hashem is my Standard [rallying point]);

16 For he said, Because a yad has been against the kes Hashem (throne of Hashem), Hashem hath milchamah against Amalek from dor to dor.

Water From the Rock

17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin,(A) traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim,(B) but there was no water(C) for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water(D) to drink.”(E)

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”(F)

But the people were thirsty(G) for water there, and they grumbled(H) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die(I) of thirst?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone(J) me.”

The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff(K) with which you struck the Nile,(L) and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.(M) Strike(N) the rock, and water(O) will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah[a](P) and Meribah[b](Q) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Amalekites Defeated

The Amalekites(R) came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.(S) Moses said to Joshua,(T) “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff(U) of God in my hands.”

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur(V) went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,(W) but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.(X) 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite(Y) army with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write(Z) this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out(AA) the name of Amalek(AB) from under heaven.”

15 Moses built an altar(AC) and called(AD) it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites(AE) from generation to generation.”(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
  2. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
  3. Exodus 17:16 Or to
  4. Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.