Exodus 17 The entire congregation of Israelites left the desert of Sin and traveled from place to place as Jehovah commanded them. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

NSB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ The entire congregation of Israelites left the desert of Sin and traveled from place to place as Jehovah commanded them. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² So they complained to Moses about this: »Give us water to drink!« Moses said: »Why do you complain to me? Why do you test Jehovah?« ³ The people were thirsty for water. They complained to Moses and asked: »Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?« ⁴ Moses cried out to Jehovah: »What should I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me!« ⁵ Jehovah said to Moses: »Go in front of the people. Take the elders of Israel with you. Take your rod with which you struck the river, in your hand, and go. ⁶ »Behold! I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock and water will come out of it. Then the people may drink.« Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the complaining of the children of Israel, and because they tested Jehovah, saying: »Is Jehovah among us or not?« ⁸ The Amalekites fought Israel at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses said to Joshua: »Choose some of our men. Then fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I will hold in my hand the staff God told me to take along.« ¹⁰ Joshua did as Moses told him. They fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win. ¹² Finally, Moses was so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. They stood beside him and supported his arms in the same position until sunset. ¹³ That is how Joshua defeated the Amalekites. ¹⁴ After the fight Jehovah said to Moses: »Write an account of this victory and read it to Joshua. I want the Amalekites to be forgotten forever.« ¹⁵ Moses built an altar. He named it: »Jehovah Gives Me Victory.« ¹⁶ Then Moses explained: »This is because I depended on Jehovah. But in future generations, Jehovah will have to fight the Amalekites again.«