Exodus 17
1 And all the assembly of the sons of Israel set forward out of the desert of Sin, by their removings, at the bidding of Yahweh, —and encamped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.
Then all the Israelites left the Desert of Sin, going from place to place as they followed the Lord's commands. They camped at Rephidim, but there wasn't any water for the people to drink.
2 And the people found fault with Moses, and said—Give us water, that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why should ye find fault with me? Why should ye put Yahweh to the proof?
Some of them came and complained to Moses, saying, “Give us water to drink!” Moses replied, “Why are you complaining to me?” Moses asked. “Why are you trying to challenge the Lord?”
3 So the people thirsted, there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, —and said—Wherefore is it that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill me and my sons and my cattle, with thirst?
But the people were so thirsty for water there that they went on complaining to Moses, saying, “Why did you have to bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us and our children and livestock by thirst?”
4 And Moses made outcry unto Yahweh saying, What am I to do, with this people? Yet a little, and they will stone me.
Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I going to do with these people? A bit more of this and they're going to stone me!”
5 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Pass over before the people, and take with thee some of the elders of Israel, —thy staff also wherewith thou didst smite the river, take thou in thy hand, so shalt thou go thy way.
The Lord told Moses, “Go ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take with you the walking stick you used to hit the Nile, and just go on ahead.
6 Behold me! standing before thee, there upon the rock in Horeb, then shalt thou smite the rock and there shall come forth therefrom water, and the people shall drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Look, I will stand there beside you by the rock at Horeb. When you hit the rock water will pour out for the people to drink.” So Moses did this as the elders of Israel watched.
7 So he called the name of the place, Massah, and Meribah, —because of the fault-finding of the sons of Israel, and because of their putting Yahweh to the proof, saying, Is Yahweh in our midst or is he not?
He called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites argued there, and because they challenged the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord with us, or not?”
8 Then came in Amalek, —and fought with Israel, in Rephidim.
Then some Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
9 And Moses said unto Joshua—Choose for us men, and go forth, fight with Amalek, —to-morrow, am, I, stationing myself upon the top of the hill, with the staff of God in my hand.
Moses told Joshua, “Choose some of men and go out and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I'll stand on the top of this hill holding the walking stick of God.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, to fight with Amalek, —and Moses, Aaron and Hur, went up to the top of the hill.
Joshua did what Moses told him and fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of the hill.
11 And it shall be when Moses shall lift on high his hands, then shall Israel prevail, but when he shall let down his hands, then shall Amalek prevail.
As long as Moses held up the walking stick his hands, the Israelites were the ones winning, but when he lowered them, it was the Amalekites.
12 But, the hands of Moses, were weary, so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat thereupon, —and, Aaron and Hur, upheld his hands—on this side, one and on that side, one, and so his hands became steady, until the going in of the sun.
So when Moses' hands became heavy, the others took a stone and put it under him for him to sit on. Aaron and Hur stood on each side of Moses and held his hands up. In this way his hands were kept firmly up until the sun went down.
13 So Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people, with the edge of the sword.
As a result Joshua defeated the Amalekite army.
14 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Write this as a remembrancer in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua—that I will, wipe out, the remembrance of Amalek, from under the heavens.
The Lord told Moses, “Write all this down on a scroll as a reminder and read it out loud to Joshua, because I'm going to completely wipe out the Amalekites so nobody on earth will remember them.”
15 And Moses built an altar, —and called the name thereof, Yahweh-nissi.
Moses built an altar and called it “the Lord is my banner of victory.”
16 And he said—Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, —from generation to generation!
“Hold up the victory banner of the Lord!” Moses declared. “The Lord will go on fighting the Amalekites for all generations!”
