Exo 17 | JPS | STEP | And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their stages, according to the commandment of HaShem, and encamped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.

‏ Exodus 17

1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their stages, according to the commandment of HaShem, and encamped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people strove with Moses, and said: 'Give us water that we may drink.' And Moses said unto them: 'Why strive ye with me? wherefore do ye try HaShem?' 3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said: 'Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?' 4 And Moses cried unto HaShem, saying: 'What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me.' 5 And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And the name of the place was called Massah, ^{▼▼That is, Trying.} and Meribah, ^{▼▼That is, Strife.} because of the striving of the children of Israel, and because they tried HaShem, saying: 'Is HaShem among us, or not?' 8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said unto Joshua: 'Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of G-d in my hand.' 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Write this for a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.' 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Adonai-nissi. ^{▼▼That is, The LORD is my banner.} 16 And he said: 'The hand upon the throne of HaShem: HaShem will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'