²⁰ When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them,

²¹ and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge^(A) you! You have made us obnoxious^(B) to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword^(C) in their hand to kill us.”^(D)

²⁴ So the people grumbled^(A) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”^(B)

² In the desert the whole community grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron.

³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(A) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(B) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(C)

² So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water^(A) to drink.”^(B)

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”^(C)

³ But the people were thirsty^(A) for water there, and they grumbled^(B) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die^(C) of thirst?”

² All the Israelites grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!^(B) Or in this wilderness!^{(C) 3} Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(D) Our wives and children^(E) will be taken as plunder.^(F) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(G)” ⁴ And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(H)”

² All the Israelites grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!^(B) Or in this wilderness!^{(C) 3} Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(D) Our wives and children^(E) will be taken as plunder.^(F) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(G)” ⁴ And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(H)”