Exodus 17

¹ The whole congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin in their journeys at the bidding of Yahweh, and they encamped in Rephidim; yet there was no water for the people to drink. ² So the people contended with Moses and said: "Give to us water that we may drink." And Moses said to them: "Why are you contending with me? Why are you probing Yahweh?" ³ When the people thirsted there for water, the people grumbled against Moses and said: "Why is this that you brought us up from Egypt to put me and my sons and my cattle to death by thirst?" ⁴ So Moses cried to Yahweh, saying: "What shall I do for this people? A little further and they will stone me." ⁵ Yahweh said to Moses: "Pass before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and your rod with which you smote the waterway take in your hand and go. ⁶ Behold Me standing before you there, on the rock at Mount Horeb. You will smite the rock, and water will come forth from it, and the people will drink." Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel. ⁷ Hence he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah on account of the contention of the sons of Israel and on account of their probing Yahweh, saying, Is Yahweh among us or is He not? ⁸ Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua: "Choose men for us and go forth. Fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will be stationed on the summit of the hill with the rod of Elohim in my hand." ¹⁰ Joshua did just as Moses said to him, to fight with Amalek. As for Moses, Aaron and Hur, they ascended the summit of the hill. ¹¹ Now it came to be just as Moses was raising high his hands that Israel had the mastery, and just as he was giving his hands rest then Amalek had the mastery. ¹² When the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone and placed it beneath him, and he sat on it. As for Aaron and Hur, they upheld his hands, from this side one and and from that side one. So it came to be that his hands were constant until sunset. ¹³ Thus Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. ¹⁴ Then Yahweh said to Moses: "Write this as a reminder in a scroll, and put it in the ears of Joshua that I shall wipe out, yea wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens." ¹⁵ So Moses built an altar and called its name Yahweh-nissi ¹⁶ and said: "For a hand is against the throne of Yah; Yahweh has a war with Amalek from generation to generation!"