Moses Strikes the Rock

¹The entire Israelite community arrived in the wilderness of Zin during the first month. The people settled in Kadesh, and it was there that Miriam died and was buried. ²There was no water for the community, so the people banded together against Moses and Aaron. ³The people quarreled with Moses and said, "We wish we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! ⁴Why did you bring the LORD's people into this wilderness to die — us and our animals? ⁵Why did you drag us out of Egypt just to bring us to this terrible place? Nothing grows here — no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates — and there isn't even water to drink!" ⁶Moses and Aaron walked away from the crowd to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown on the ground. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them. ⁷The LORD said to Moses, ⁸"Take the staff, and gather the whole community together — you and your brother Aaron. Then speak to the rock right in front of them, and it will pour out water. You will bring water from the rock for the people, so that the community and their livestock can drink." ⁹Moses took the staff from its place before the LORD, just as he had been commanded. ¹⁰Moses and Aaron assembled the whole community in front of the rock, and Moses shouted at them, "Listen up, you rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?" ¹¹Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out in abundance, and the entire community and their livestock drank. ¹²But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to honor me as holy before the Israelites, you will not be the ones to lead this community into the land I have given them." ¹³This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and he was sanctified among them.