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.
The whole community of the Israelites journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, following Yahweh's instructions. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no 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?
So the people blamed Moses for their situation and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”
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?
The people were very thirsty, and they complained against Moses. They said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt? To kill us and our children and our cattle with 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.
Then Moses cried out to Yahweh, “What should I do with this people? They are almost ready 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.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take with you some elders of Israel. Take with you the staff with which you struck the river, and go.
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.
I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you will strike the rock. Water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Then Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
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 that place Massah and Meribah because of the Israelites' complaining, and because they had tested the Lord by saying, “Is Yahweh among us or not?”
8 Then came in Amalek, —and fought with Israel, in Rephidim.
Then an army of the Amalek people came and attacked Israel 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.
So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men and go out. Fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
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.
So Joshua fought Amalek as Moses had instructed, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up 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.
While Moses was holding his hands up, Israel was winning; when he let his hands rest, Amalek would begin to win.
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.
When Moses' hands became heavy, Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under him for him to sit on. At the same time, Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one person on one side of him, and the other person on the other side. So Moses' hands were held steady until the sun went down.
13 So Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people, with the edge of the sword.
So Joshua defeated the people of Amalek with the sword.
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.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this in a book and read it in Joshua's hearing, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under the skies.”
15 And Moses built an altar, —and called the name thereof, Yahweh-nissi.
Then Moses built an altar and he called it “Yahweh is my banner.”
16 And he said—Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, —from generation to generation!
He said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of Yahweh—that Yahweh will wage war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
