Exodus 17

Water at Rephidim

1The whole community of Israelites moved on from the wilderness of Sin, traveling stage by stage at the LORD’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2The people quarreled with Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. Moses said, “Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the LORD?” 3The people were thirsty there and grumbled against Moses. “Why did you bring us up from Egypt,” they said, “to kill me, my children, and my livestock with thirst?”

4Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? A little more, and they will stone me!”

5The LORD said to Moses, “Go ahead of the people and take some of Israel’s elders with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out for the people to drink.” Moses did this in the sight of Israel’s elders.

7He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”