Numbers 20:2–13

²Since the community was without water, they came together to confront Moses and Aaron. ³The people complained to Moses and said, “If only we had died when the other Israelites died in the Lord’s presence! ⁴Did you bring the Lord’s assembly into this desert just to have us and our animals die here? ⁵Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us into this terrible place? This is no place to plant crops. Even figs, grapes, and pomegranates won’t grow here. And there’s no water to drink!” 

⁶Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 

⁷The Lord said to Moses, ⁸“Take your staff, then you and your brother Aaron gather the community. Right before their eyes, tell the rock to give up its water. In this way you will give the community water from the rock for them and their animals to drink.” 

⁹Moses took his staff out of ⸤the tent in⸥ the Lord’s presence as he had been commanded. ¹⁰Then Moses and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock and said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?” ¹¹Moses raised his hand and hit the rock twice with the staff. Water came pouring out, and all the people and their animals drank. 

¹²But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “You didn’t trust me! You didn’t show the Israelites how holy I am! So you will not bring this congregation into the land I’m giving them.” 

¹³This was the oasis of Meribah ^[Complaining^[, where the Israelites complained about the Lord and where he showed them he was holy.