Moses and Aaron went on leading the Israelites through the wilderness, back to the promised land, but times there was bitterness between the people and their two leaders.
"There is nothing to drink in the wilderness," they cried. " Give us water to drink with our manna-we're dying of thirst."
"Trust God," Moses kept replying. "He will help you."
But the people grew angry."Why did you bring us out of Egypt," they demanded, "just to let us all die here of thirst?"Then Moses prayed to God, because he was afraid they would kill him.
"Go forward, Moses," God answered him. "Go on ahead of the others and take some of the leaders of the people with you-and dont forget your staff. You will find me waiting for you by the rock on Mount Horeb where first spoke to you. Strike the rock with your staff, and water will pour out of it. I will bring the people after you to this rock so that they can drink and be satisfied."
Moses did exactly as God commanded. When he had reached Mount Horeb he gathered the Israelite leaders around him and struck the rock with his staff. Water came gushing up out oc it, and every one of the Israelites came up in turn and drank as much as he wanted.