Moses: People Complain Against Moses and Aaron

When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”

So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”

But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! …

The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. …

Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey …

But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes all by myself?

But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. …