Exodus
Chapter 17
1 The whole group of Israel’s children traveled from the Sin desert, moving as God had told them, and they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for them to drink.
2 So the people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses replied, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing God?”
3 The people were thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, saying, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die of thirst, along with our children and animals?”
4 Moses cried out to God, saying, “What should I do for these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 God told Moses, “Go ahead of the people and bring some of Israel’s elders with you; also, take the staff you used to strike the river in your hand and go.”
6 Look, I will be in front of you on the rock at Horeb; hit the rock, and water will come out so the people can drink. Moses did this with the Israelite elders watching.
7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites argued and tested God by asking, “Is God with us or not?”
8 Amalek came and battled with Israel at Rephidim.
9 Moses told Joshua, “Pick some men for us, and go fight Amalek. Tomorrow I’ll stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.”
10 Joshua did what Moses told him, and fought Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11 When Moses raised his hand, Israel won; when he lowered his hand, Amalek won.
12 Moses’ hands were tired, so they placed a stone under him to sit on. Aaron and Hur helped hold up his hands, one on each side, and his hands stayed steady until sunset.
13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword.
14 God told Moses, “Write this down as a reminder in a book and tell it to Joshua: I will completely erase the memory of Amalek from the earth.”
15 Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner.
16 He said, because God has promised that God will fight Amalek forever, generation after generation.