Exodus 17

1 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.2 The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"

3 But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"

4 Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!"

5 God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go.

6 I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink."7 He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, "Is God here with us, or not?"

8 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim.9 Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."

10 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.11 It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning.12 But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down.13 Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.

14 God said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth."

15 Moses built an altar and named it "God My Banner."16 He said, Salute God's rule! God at war with Amalek Always and forever!

Exodus 18

1 Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt.2 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses' wife who had been sent back home,3 and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign land";4 the name of the other was Eliezer (God's-Help) because "The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh."

5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.6 He had sent a message ahead to Moses: "I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons."

7 Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent.8 Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that God had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how God had delivered them.

9 Jethro was delighted in all the good that God had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression.10 Jethro said, "Blessed be God who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt.11 Now I know that God is greater than all gods because he's done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly."

12 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

13 The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night.14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"

15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God.16 When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions."

17 Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it.18 You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you-you can't do this alone.19 Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God.20 Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do.21 And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men-men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible-and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.22 They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you.23 If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also."

24 Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said.25 Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.26 They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges.27 Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.

Exodus 19

Mount Sinai

1 Three months after leaving Egypt the Israelites entered the Wilderness of Sinai.2 They followed the route from Rephidim, arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp. Israel camped there facing the mountain.

3 As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: "Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel:4 'You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to me.5 If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from,6 but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.' "This is what I want you to tell the People of Israel."

7 Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which God had commanded him.

8 The people were unanimous in their response: "Everything God says, we will do." Moses took the people's answer back to God.

9 God said to Moses, "Get ready. I'm about to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people can listen in and trust you completely when I speak with you." Again Moses reported the people's answer to God.

10 God said to Moses, "Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy God. Have them scrub their clothes11 so that on the third day they'll be fully prepared, because on the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people.12 Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, 'Warning! Don't climb the mountain. Don't even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies-a certain death.13 And no one is to touch that person, he's to be stoned. That's right-stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever-put to death.' "A long blast from the horn will signal that it's safe to climb the mountain."

14 Moses went down the mountain to the people and prepared them for the holy meeting. They gave their clothes a good scrubbing.15 Then he addressed the people: "Be ready in three days. Don't sleep with a woman."

16 On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear.

17 Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain.

18 Mount Sinai was all smoke because God had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered in huge spasms.19 The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder.20 God descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. God called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up.

21 God said to Moses, "Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die.22 And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest God break out against them."

23 Moses said to God, "But the people can't climb Mount Sinai. You've already warned us well telling us: 'Post boundaries around the mountain. Respect the holy mountain.'"

24 God told him, "Go down and then bring Aaron back up with you. But make sure that the priests and the people don't break through and come up to God, lest he break out against them."

25 So Moses went down to the people. He said to them: