The Lord Gives Water from a Rock

17 ^(A) The Israelites left the desert and moved from one place to another each time the Lord ordered them to. Once they camped at Rephidim,^[a] but there was no water for them to drink.

² The people started complaining to Moses, “Give us some water!”

Moses replied, “Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the Lord to the test?”

³ But the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, “Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?”

⁴ Then Moses prayed to the Lord, “What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!”

⁵ The Lord answered, “Take some of the leaders with you and go ahead of the rest of the people. Also take along the walking stick with which you struck the Nile River. ⁶ When you get to the rock at Mount Sinai,^[b] I will be there with you. Strike the rock with the stick, and water will pour out for the people to drink.” Moses did this while the leaders watched.

⁷ The people had complained and tested the Lord by asking, “Is the Lord really with us?” So Moses named that place Massah, which means “testing” and Meribah, which means “complaining.”

^2 (A) The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron ³ and complained, “Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the Lord's sacred tent.^{[a] 4} You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! ⁵ Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates.^[b] But now we don't even have any water.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory ^7-8 and said, “Moses, get your walking stick.^[c] Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”

⁹ Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. ¹⁰ After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!” ^11 (B) He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”

¹³ The Israelites had complained against the Lord, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining.”