² Now there was no water^(A) for the community,^(B) and the people gathered in opposition^(C) to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled^(D) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead^(E) before the Lord!^{(F) 4} Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,^(G) that we and our livestock should die here?^{(H) 5} Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.^(I) And there is no water to drink!^(J)”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting^(K) and fell facedown,^(L) and the glory of the Lord^(M) appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff,^(N) and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.^(O) You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff^(P) from the Lord’s presence,^(Q) just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together^(R) in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”^{(S) 11} Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water^(T) gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy^(U) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”^(V)

¹³ These were the waters of Meribah,^[a](W) where the Israelites quarreled^(X) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.^(Y)

⁴² The Lord^(A) answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.^(B) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^{(C) 48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(D) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.