Exodus 17:1-7

Water from the Rock

1 aAll the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 bTherefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you ctest the Lord?” 3But the people thirsted there for water, and dthe people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready eto stone me.” 5And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with fwhich you struck the Nile, and go. 6 gBehold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place hMassah
 Massah means testing
and jMeribah,
 Meribah means quarreling
because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Numbers 20:1-13

The Death of Miriam

1And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came linto the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And mMiriam died there and was buried there.

The Waters of Meribah

2 nNow there was no water for the congregation. oAnd they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3And the people pquarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished qwhen our brothers perished before the Lord! 4Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5And rwhy have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and sfell on their faces. tAnd the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 uTake the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So vyou shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9And Moses took the staff wfrom before the Lord, as he commanded him.

Moses Strikes the Rock

10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, xHear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, yand water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because zyou did not believe in me, aato uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13 abThese are the waters of Meribah,
 Meribah means quarreling
where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.

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