Exodus 17

1 The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert ^{a17:1 Or wilderness} of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command ^{b17:1 Lit. mouth} of the LORD. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.ISV — Exodus 17:1

2 The people quarreled with Moses: “Give us water to drink.” Moses told them, “Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the LORD?”ISV — Exodus 17:2

3 But the people were thirsty there for water, so they ^{c17:3 Lit. the people} complained against Moses: “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”ISV — Exodus 17:3

4 So Moses cried out to the LORD: “What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they’ll stone me.”ISV — Exodus 17:4

5 Then the LORD told Moses, “Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.ISV — Exodus 17:5

6 I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel.ISV — Exodus 17:6

7 He named the place Massah ^{d17:7 The Heb. name Massah means Testing} and Meribah, ^{e17:7 The Heb. name Meribah means Quarreling} because the Israelis quarreled and tested the LORD by saying: “Is the LORD really among us or not?”ISV — Exodus 17:7

8 After this, the Amalekites came and fought with the Israelis at Rephidim.ISV — Exodus 17:8

9 Moses told Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out to fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I’ll stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”ISV — Exodus 17:9

10 So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.ISV — Exodus 17:10

11 Whenever Moses raised his hand, the Israelis prevailed, but when his hand remained at his side, ^{f17:11 Lit. rested} then the Amalekites prevailed.ISV — Exodus 17:11

12 When Moses’ hands became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down.ISV — Exodus 17:12

13 Joshua defeated ^{g17:13 Or weakened} Amalek and his army using swords.ISV — Exodus 17:13

14 Then the LORD told Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to ^{h17:14 Lit. put it in the ear of} Joshua: ‘I’ll certainly wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.’”ISV — Exodus 17:14

15 Moses built an altar and named it “The LORD is My Banner.”ISV — Exodus 17:15

16 “Because,” he said, “a fist has been raised in defiance ^{i17:16 The Heb. lacks in defiance} against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will wage war against Amalek from generation to generation.”ISV — Exodus 17:16