Thirsty again
1The Israelites left Sin Desert. They stopped to camp whenever the LORD told them to. They camped at Rephidim, [1] but there wasn’t any water in the area. 2The people complained to Moses. They said, “Come on, we’re thirsty. Give us some water.” Moses said, “Why are you complaining to me? And why are you testing the limits of the LORD?”3But the people wouldn’t stop griping because they were thirsty. They said, “Why did you bring us this far from Egypt? To kill us and our kids and our livestock? Did you bring us here to die of thirst?” 4Moses prayed to the LORD, “What am I supposed to do with these people? They’re on the verge of stoning me.”
Water from the rock
5The LORD told Moses, “Take some of the elder leaders of the people on a walk. Take them ahead of everyone else. And carry your walking stick, too. The one you used on the Nile River. 6Walk to Mount Sinai. [2] I’ll be standing by a rock there. Hit the rock with your walking stick. When you do, water will burst out and the people can drink it. Moses did what the LORD said, as the leaders watched. [3]7Moses named the site Pushy Complainers. [4] That’s because the people tested the limits of the LORD and complained by asking, “Did the LORD come with us, or not?”
Battle of the Amalekites
8A group of Amalekites [5] attacked the people of Israel while the Israelites camped at Rephidim. 9Moses told Joshua, [6] “Pick some men and go fight the Amalekites tomorrow. I’ll stand on top of the nearby hill, and I’ll hold the walking stick that God has used to help us before.”10Joshua did what Moses said. Joshua and his men fought the Amalekites, while Moses stood on top of the hill, along with Aaron and Hur. [7] 11When Moses held up his hands, Israel outfought the Amalekites. But when he dropped his hands, Amalekites started to win. 12When Moses got too tired to hold up his hands, the others brought him a stone to sit on. While he sat there, Aaron and Hur, helped him hold up his hands—Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his hands raised high all day, until sunset. 13Joshua led Israel to a battlefield victory over the Amalekites.
14The LORD told Moses, “There’s something I want you to put in writing so people will remember it. And I want you to read it back to Joshua. Here it is: I’m going to erase the very memory of Amalek. One day, no one in the world will remember it anymore.” 15Moses built a stone altar and he gave it a name: I Fly the LORD’s Flag. [8] 16Moses explained, “Amalek has declared war on the LORD. So the LORD will fight the Amalekites from one generation to another, for as long as it takes. [9]
