Saadia · Shemot 17
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- Shemot 17:1
וַיִּסְעוּ כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּדְבַּר-סִין לְמַסְעֵיהֶם--עַל-פִּי יְהוָה וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּרְפִידִים וְאֵין מַיִם לִשְׁתֹּת הָעָם
. . . .
Then the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, in their stages according to the word of God, and they encamped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.
- Shemot 17:2
וַיָּרֶב הָעָם עִם-מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמְרוּ תְּנוּ-לָנוּ מַיִם וְנִשְׁתֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה מַה-תְּרִיבוּן עִמָּדִי מַה-תְּנַסּוּן אֶת-יְהוָה
. . . .
And the people quarreled with Moses, and said: 'Give us water that we may drink.' Moses said to them: 'Why do you quarrel with me? And why do you put God to the test?'
- Shemot 17:3
וַיִּצְמָא שָׁם הָעָם לַמַּיִם וַיָּלֶן הָעָם עַל-מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה זֶּה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם לְהָמִית אֹתִי וְאֶת-בָּנַי וְאֶת-מִקְנַי בַּצָּמָא
. . . .
And when the people thirsted there for water, they murmured against Moses, and said to him: 'Why did you bring us up from Egypt — to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?'
- Shemot 17:4
וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָה לֵאמֹר מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לָעָם הַזֶּה עוֹד מְעַט וּסְקָלֻנִי
. .
And Moses cried out to God, saying: 'What shall I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me.'
- Shemot 17:5
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה עֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הָעָם וְקַח אִתְּךָ מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ בּוֹ אֶת-הַיְאֹר--קַח בְּיָדְךָ וְהָלָכְתָּ
. . . .
And God said to him: 'Go before the people, and take with you some of their elders; and your staff with which you struck the Nile — take it in your hand and go.'
- Shemot 17:6
הִנְנִי עֹמֵד לְפָנֶיךָ שָּׁם עַל-הַצּוּר בְּחֹרֵב וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מַיִם וְשָׁתָה הָעָם וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן מֹשֶׁה לְעֵינֵי זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . . .
'Behold, I am placing a guide before you upon the flint at Horeb. Strike the flint, and water shall come out from it for the people to drink.' And he did so, in the presence of the elders of the house of Israel.
- Shemot 17:7
וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה עַל-רִיב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל נַסֹּתָם אֶת-יְהוָה לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ יְהוָה בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם-אָיִן
. . . .
And he named that place the place of trial and quarreling — on account of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and their putting God to the test, saying: 'Is the light of God present among us, or not?'
- Shemot 17:8
וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם
.
Then Amalek came and warred against the sons of Israel in Rephidim.
- Shemot 17:9
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּחַר-לָנוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְצֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק מָחָר אָנֹכִי נִצָּב עַל-רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה וּמַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדִי
. . . .
And Moses said to Joshua: 'Choose men for us, and go out to fight Amalek — tomorrow. I shall be standing upon the top of the height, and the staff which God commanded concerning it shall be in my hand.'
- Shemot 17:10
וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר-לוֹ מֹשֶׁה--לְהִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק וּמֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וְחוּר עָלוּ רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה
. . . .
And Joshua did as Moses had told him — to fight Amalek. And Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the height.
- Shemot 17:11
וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרִים מֹשֶׁה יָדוֹ--וְגָבַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָנִיחַ יָדוֹ וְגָבַר עֲמָלֵק
. .
And it was so with Moses: whenever he raised his hand, the house of Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered it, the house of Amalek prevailed.
- Shemot 17:12
וִידֵי מֹשֶׁה כְּבֵדִים וַיִּקְחוּ-אֶבֶן וַיָּשִׂימוּ תַחְתָּיו וַיֵּשֶׁב עָלֶיהָ וְאַהֲרֹן וְחוּר תָּמְכוּ בְיָדָיו מִזֶּה אֶחָד וּמִזֶּה אֶחָד וַיְהִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה עַד-בֹּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
. . . . . .
And when Moses' hands grew heavy, they took a stone and placed it beneath him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one of them to the right and the other to the left. And so his two hands were held steady until the setting of the sun.
- Shemot 17:13
וַיַּחֲלֹשׁ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת-עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת-עַמּוֹ לְפִי-חָרֶב
.
And Joshua wore down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
- Shemot 17:14
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם
. . . .
And God said to Moses: 'Write this as a memorial in a book, and recite it to Joshua — for I shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the sky.'
- Shemot 17:15
וַיִּבֶן מֹשֶׁה מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יְהוָה נִסִּי
.
And Moses built an altar, and called it: 'God is my banner.'
- Shemot 17:16
וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי-יָד עַל-כֵּס יָהּ מִלְחָמָה לַיהוָה בַּעֲמָלֵק--מִדֹּר דֹּר
. . .
He said: 'The Eternal has sworn by the throne, that there shall be war belonging to God against Amalek — generation after generation.'
English is a working draft — author revising