Exodus 17
Open in the reader1Then the whole congregation of Strives-with-God left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as He-Who-Is commanded. They camped at Resting-Places, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2So the people contended with Drawn-Out, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Drawn-Out replied. “Why do you test He-Who-Is?”
3But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Drawn-Out: “Why have you brought us out of Two-Straits—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4Then Drawn-Out cried out to He-Who-Is, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”
5And He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Strives-with-God with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Desolate. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Drawn-Out did this in the sight of the elders of Strives-with-God.
7He named the place Testing and Strife because the children of Strives-with-God quarreled, and because they tested He-Who-Is, saying, “Is He-Who-Is among us or not?”
8After this, the children of Amalek came and attacked the children of Strives-with-God at Resting-Places.
9So Drawn-Out said to He-Who-Is-Saves, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the children of Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”
10He-Who-Is-Saves did as Drawn-Out had instructed him and fought against the children of Amalek, while Drawn-Out, Aaron, and White went up to the top of the hill.
11As long as Drawn-Out held up his hands, Strives-with-God prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed.
12When Drawn-Out’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and White held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.
13So He-Who-Is-Saves overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.
14Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to He-Who-Is-Saves, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
15And Drawn-Out built an altar and named it He-Who-Is Is My Banner.
16“Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the He-Who-Is. He-Who-Is will war against Amalek from generation to generation.”