Water from the Rock
(Numbers 20:1–13)

1  וַ֠יִּסְעוּ (And set out) כָּל־ (all) עֲדַ֨ת (the congregation) בְּנֵֽי־ (of the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל (of Israel) מִמִּדְבַּר־ (from the Wilderness) סִ֛ין (of Sin) לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם (on their journeys), עַל־ (according to) פִּ֣י (the mouth) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH). וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ (And they camped) בִּרְפִידִ֔ים (in Rephidim), וְאֵ֥ין (and there was no) מַ֖יִם (water) לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת (to drink) הָעָֽם׃ (for the people). 2  וַיָּ֤רֶב (And contended) הָעָם֙ (the people) עִם־ (with) מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moses) וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (and said), תְּנוּ־ (Give) לָ֥נוּ (to us) מַ֖יִם (water) וְנִשְׁתֶּ֑ה (that we may drink).

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (And said) לָהֶם֙ (to them) מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moses), מַה־ (Why) תְּרִיבוּן֙ (do you⁺ contend) עִמָּדִ֔י (with me)? מַה־ (Why) תְּנַסּ֖וּן (do you⁺ test) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH)?

3  וַיִּצְמָ֨א (And thirsted) שָׁ֤ם (there) הָעָם֙ (the people) לַמַּ֔יִם (for water), וַיָּ֥לֶן (and grumbled) הָעָ֖ם (the people) עַל־ (against) מֹשֶׁ֑ה (Moses) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (and said), לָ֤מָּה (Why) זֶּה֙ (is this)— הֶעֱלִיתָ֣נוּ (you have brought us up) מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם (from Egypt) לְהָמִ֥ית (to kill) אֹתִ֛י (me) וְאֶת־ (and) בָּנַ֥י (my sons) וְאֶת־ (and) מִקְנַ֖י (my livestock) בַּצָּמָֽא׃ (with thirst)?

4  וַיִּצְעַ֤ק (And cried out) מֹשֶׁה֙ (Moses) אֶל־ (to) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), מָ֥ה (What) אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה (shall I do) לָעָ֣ם (for the people) הַזֶּ֑ה (this)? ע֥וֹד (Longer) מְעַ֖ט (a little) וּסְקָלֻֽנִי׃ (and they will stone me)!

5  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (And said) יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) אֶל־ (to) מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Moses), עֲבֹר֙ (Pass on) לִפְנֵ֣י (before the face of) הָעָ֔ם (the people), וְקַ֥ח (and take) אִתְּךָ֖ (with you) מִזִּקְנֵ֣י (some of the elders) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (of Israel). וּמַטְּךָ֗ (And your staff) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (which) הִכִּ֤יתָ (you struck) בּוֹ֙ (with) אֶת־ (-) הַיְאֹ֔ר (the River), קַ֥ח (take) בְּיָדְךָ֖ (in your hand) וְהָלָֽכְתָּ׃ (and go). 6  הִנְנִ֣י (Behold), עֹמֵד֩ (I am standing) לְפָנֶ֨יךָ (before you) שָּׁ֥ם׀ (there) עַֽל־ (on) הַצּוּר֮ (the rock) בְּחֹרֵב֒ (in Horeb), וְהִכִּ֣יתָ (and you shall strike) בַצּ֗וּר (the rock), וְיָצְא֥וּ (will come out) מִמֶּ֛נּוּ (from it) מַ֖יִם (water), וְשָׁתָ֣ה (and will drink) הָעָ֑ם (the people).

וַיַּ֤עַשׂ (And did) כֵּן֙ (so) מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moses) לְעֵינֵ֖י (in the eyes) זִקְנֵ֥י (of the elders) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (of Israel). 7  וַיִּקְרָא֙ (And he called) שֵׁ֣ם (the name) הַמָּק֔וֹם (of the place) מַסָּ֖ה (Massah) וּמְרִיבָ֑ה (and Meribah), עַל־ (because) רִ֣יב׀ (of the contention) בְּנֵ֣י (of the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (of Israel), וְעַ֨ל (and because) נַסֹּתָ֤ם (of their testing) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָה֙ (of YHWH), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), הֲיֵ֧שׁ (Is) יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) בְּקִרְבֵּ֖נוּ (among us) אִם־ (or) אָֽיִן׃פ (not)?

The Defeat of the Amalekites

8  וַיָּבֹ֖א (And came) עֲמָלֵ֑ק (Amalek) וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם (and fought) עִם־ (with) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Israel) בִּרְפִידִֽם׃ (in Rephidim). 9  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (And said) מֹשֶׁ֤ה (Moses) אֶל־ (to) יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ (Joshua), בְּחַר־ (Choose) לָ֣נוּ (for us) אֲנָשִׁ֔ים (men) וְצֵ֖א (and go out) הִלָּחֵ֣ם (fight) בַּעֲמָלֵ֑ק (with Amalek). מָחָ֗ר (Tomorrow) אָנֹכִ֤י (I) נִצָּב֙ (will stand) עַל־ (on) רֹ֣אשׁ (the top) הַגִּבְעָ֔ה (of the hill), וּמַטֵּ֥ה (and the staff) הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (of God) בְּיָדִֽי׃ (will be in my hand).

10  וַיַּ֣עַשׂ (And did) יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ (Joshua) כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר (as) אָֽמַר־ (said) לוֹ֙ (to him) מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moses), לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם (to fight) בַּעֲמָלֵ֑ק (with Amalek). וּמֹשֶׁה֙ (And Moses), אַהֲרֹ֣ן (Aaron), וְח֔וּר (and Hur) עָל֖וּ (went up) רֹ֥אשׁ (to the top) הַגִּבְעָֽה׃ (of the hill).

11  וְהָיָ֗ה (And it came to pass), כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (when) יָרִ֥ים (held up) מֹשֶׁ֛ה (Moses) יָד֖וֹ (his hand), וְגָבַ֣ר (that prevailed) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Israel); וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר (and when) יָנִ֛יחַ (he let down) יָד֖וֹ (his hand), וְגָבַ֥ר (and prevailed) עֲמָלֵֽק׃ (Amalek). 12  וִידֵ֤י (And the hands) מֹשֶׁה֙ (of Moses) כְּבֵדִ֔ים (became heavy); וַיִּקְחוּ־ (and they took) אֶ֛בֶן (a stone), וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ (and put it) תַחְתָּ֖יו (under him) וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב (and he sat) עָלֶ֑יהָ (on it). וְאַהֲרֹ֨ן (And Aaron) וְח֜וּר (and Hur) תָּֽמְכ֣וּ (supported) בְיָדָ֗יו (his hands)— מִזֶּ֤ה (from this) אֶחָד֙ (one), וּמִזֶּ֣ה (and from that) אֶחָ֔ד (one)— וַיְהִ֥י (and were) יָדָ֛יו (his hands) אֱמוּנָ֖ה (steady) עַד־ (until) בֹּ֥א (the going down) הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (of the sun).

13  וַיַּחֲלֹ֧שׁ (And weakened) יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ (Joshua) אֶת־ (-) עֲמָלֵ֥ק (Amalek) וְאֶת־ (and) עַמּ֖וֹ (his people) לְפִי־ (with the mouth) חָֽרֶב׃פ (of the sword).

14  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (And said) יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) אֶל־ (to) מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Moses), כְּתֹ֨ב (Write) זֹ֤את (this) זִכָּרוֹן֙ (for a memorial) בַּסֵּ֔פֶר (in the book), וְשִׂ֖ים (and put it) בְּאָזְנֵ֣י (in the ears) יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ (of Joshua), כִּֽי־ (that) מָחֹ֤ה (blotting) אֶמְחֶה֙ (I will blot out) אֶת־ (-) זֵ֣כֶר (the remembrance) עֲמָלֵ֔ק (of Amalek) מִתַּ֖חַת (from under) הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (the heavens).

15  וַיִּ֥בֶן (And built) מֹשֶׁ֖ה (Moses) מִזְבֵּ֑חַ (an altar) וַיִּקְרָ֥א (and called) שְׁמ֖וֹ (its name) יְהוָ֥ה׀ (YHWH-) נִסִּֽי׃ (Nissi). 16  וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (And he said), כִּֽי־ (Because) יָד֙ (a hand) עַל־ (is on) כֵּ֣ס (the throne) יָ֔הּ (of YAH), מִלְחָמָ֥ה (war) לַיהוָ֖ה (belongs to YHWH) בַּֽעֲמָלֵ֑ק (with Amalek) מִדֹּ֖ר (from generation) דֹּֽר׃פ (to generation).