Exodus 17

New King James Version

Water from the Rock^(A)

17 Then^(B)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of^(C)Sin, according to the commandment of theLord, and camped in Rephidim; butthere wasno water for the people to^(D)drink.^2 (E)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you^(F)tempt theLord?”

³ And the people thirsted there for water, and the people^(G)complained against Moses, and said, “Whyisit you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our^(H)livestock with thirst?”

⁴ So Moses^(I)cried out to theLord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to^(J)stone^[a]me!”

⁵ And theLordsaid to Moses,^(K)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which^(L)you struck the river, and go.^6 (M)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.⁷ So he called the name of the place^(N)Massah^[b]and^[c]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they^[d]tempted theLord, saying, “Is theLordamong us or not?”

Victory over the Amalekites^(O)

^8 (P)Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with^(Q)the rod of God in my hand.”¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.¹¹ And so it was, when Moses^(R)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.¹² But Moses’ handsbecame^[e]heavy; so they took a stone and putitunder him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

¹⁴ Then theLordsaid to Moses,^(S)“Write thisfora memorial in the book and recountitin the hearing of Joshua, that^(T)I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”¹⁵ And Moses built an altar and called its name,^[f]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;¹⁶ for he said, “Because^[g]theLordhas^(U)sworn: theLordwill havewar with Amalek from generation to generation.”