17 The entire assembly of the Israelites departed from the wilderness of Sin+ by stages according to the order of Jehovah,+ and they camped at Rephʹi·dim.+ But there was no water for the people to drink.

2 So the people began quarreling with Moses+ and saying: “Give us water to drink.” But Moses said to them: “Why are you quarreling with me? Why do you keep putting Jehovah to the test?”+ 3 But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they kept murmuring against Moses+ and saying: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our sons and our livestock with thirst?”

2 All the Israelites began to murmur against Moses and Aaron,+ and the whole assembly spoke against them, saying: “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!

4 They were even saying to one another: “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”+