Exodus 17 (MSG)

16 verses · The Message · Contemporary paraphrase

The Message by Eugene Peterson presents the Bible in the rhythms and idioms of contemporary American English. More than a translation, it is a paraphrase designed to help readers experience Scripture's impact as if hearing it for the first time.

Exodus Chapter 17 contains 16 verses and is presented here in the The Message (MSG), which uses a contemporary paraphrase approach. Read the full text below, compare with other translations, or navigate to any of the 40 chapters in Exodus.

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1Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.

2The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"

3But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"

4Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!"

5God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go.

6I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink." Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching.

7He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, "Is God here with us, or not?"

8Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim.

9Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."

10Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.

11It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning.

12But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

13Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.

14God said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth."

15Moses built an altar and named it "God My Banner."

16He said, Salute God's rule! God at war with Amalek Always and forever!

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About This Translation

What is Exodus 17 in the MSG?

Exodus 17 in the The Message (MSG) contains 16 verses. The MSG uses a contemporary paraphrase approach, first published in 2002.

How does the MSG translate Exodus 17 differently?

The The Message uses contemporary paraphrase, rendering the text as a modern paraphrase in contemporary idioms. Compare this with the NIV (dynamic equivalence) version of Exodus 17 for a different perspective.

How many verses are in Exodus 17 (MSG)?

Exodus Chapter 17 contains 16 verses in the The Message. The book of Exodus has 40 chapters total.

Exodus (MSG) — All 40 Chapters

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