Then David said, “Only the Levites {\cf2\super [152]} are permitted to carry the Box of the Agreement. The Lord chose them to carry the Box of the Agreement and to serve him forever.”
I will stand before you on a rock at Horeb (Mount Sinai). Hit that rock with the walking stick and water will come out of it. Then the people can drink.”
Why? Because I will do new things! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I really will make a road in the desert. I really will make rivers in the dry land.
The Lord led his people through the desert,\par and they never became thirsty!\par Why? Because he made water\par flow from a rock for his people!\par He split the rock,\par and water flowed out!”\par
Then Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu {sinned}. Each son took a dish for burning incense. [115] They used a different fire and lit the incense. They did not use the fire that Moses had commanded them to use.
“Get the {special} walking stick. Take your brother Aaron and the crowd of people and go to that rock. Speak to the rock in front of the people. Then water will flow from the rock. And you can give that water to the people and to their animals.”
Teach those people to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world.”
The Lord led you through that great and terrible desert. Poisonous snakes and scorpions [52] were in that desert! The ground was dry, and there was no water anywhere. But the Lord gave you water out of the rock.
There is a hole in the ground at Lehi. God made that hole crack open, and water came out. Samson drank that water and felt better. He felt strong again. So he named that water spring En Hakkore. [113] It is still there in the city of Lehi today.
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I did not obey the Lord’s commands, and I did not do what you told me. I was afraid of the people, and I did what they said.