Water from the Rock (Numbers 20:1–13)
1 UST Then Yahweh commanded all the Israelites to travel from the wilderness of Sin and camp at a place called Rephidim, and they did. However, there was no water there for the people to drink. BSB BSB: Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 UST So the people complained to Moses again, saying,“Give us water to drink!” Moses replied to them,“You should not quarrel with me! You should not test Yahweh!” BSB BSB: So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
3 UST But the people were very thirsty, and they continued to complain to Moses. They were saying,“You only brought us out here to kill us and our children and cattle by not letting us have any water to drink!” BSB BSB: But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4 UST So Moses prayed to Yahweh. He said,“How shall I deal with these people? They are almost ready{ to kill me} by throwing stones{ at me}!” BSB BSB: Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”
5 UST Yahweh said to Moses,“Lead the people and walk in front of them. Take some of the elders of the Israelite people with you. Carry in your hand the staff you used to strike the Nile River. BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6 UST Watch me! I will stand in front of you on top of a large rock at the foot of Mount Sinai. Strike the rock with your stick. When you do that, water for the people to drink will flow out of the rock.” Moses did what God had said, and the elders saw it happen. BSB BSB: Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7 UST Moses named that place both Masseh(because the Israelites tested Yahweh by questioning if he was really able to help them or not) and Meribah(because they were complaining all the time to him). BSB BSB: He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
The Defeat of the Amalekites 8 UST Then the people of Amalek came and fought against the Israelite people at Rephidim. BSB BSB: After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
9 UST Moses said to Joshua,“Choose some men to go out and fight against the people of Amalek tomorrow. I will stand on the top of the hill, holding the staff that God told me to carry.” BSB BSB: So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”
10 UST So Joshua obeyed Moses. He{ took some men} to fight against the people of Amalek.{ While they were fighting,} Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill{ so that they could see the whole battle area}. BSB BSB: Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 UST Then this happened: Whenever Moses lifted up his arms, the Israelite men started to win the battle; whenever he lowered his arms, the Amalekite army started to win. BSB BSB: As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed.
12 UST But Moses’ arms became tired. So Aaron and Hur brought a large stone for him to sit on. While he was sitting on it, those two held up his arms, one man on either side of him. In that way, they kept his arms lifted up until the sun went down. BSB BSB: When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.
13 UST In this way Joshua and the men with him defeated the Amalekite king and his army in battle. BSB BSB: So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.
15 UST Then Moses built a stone altar there and named it“Yahweh is my flag.” BSB BSB: And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner.
16 UST He said,“Because they fought against him, Yahweh will fight against the people of Amalek forever!” BSB BSB: “Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the LORD. The LORD will war against Amalek from generation to generation.”