Exodus 18

Jethros Advice

1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His peoplethat the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.2 Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses wife, after he had sent her back,3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a stranger in a foreign land)4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh);5 and Jethro, Moses father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.6 Now he had said to Moses, I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israels sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.12 Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses father-in-law before God.13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.14 So when Moses father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God.16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.17 So Moses father-in-law said to him, The thing that you do is not good.18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Exodus 19

Israel at Mount Sinai

1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.2 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself.5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.8 Then all the people answered together and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.9 And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever. So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.10 Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live. When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes.15 And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.21 And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish.22 Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.23 But Moses said to the Lord, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.24 Then the Lord said to him, Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

1 And God spoke all these words, saying: And God spoke all these words, saying:2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.3 You shall have no other gods before Me.4 You shall not make for yourself a carved imageany likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.13 You shall not murder.14 You shall not commit adultery.15 You shall not steal.16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.17 You shall not covet your neighbors house; you shall not covet your neighbors wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbors.

The People Afraid of Gods Presence

18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.19 Then they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.20 And Moses said to the people, Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

The Law of the Altar

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.23 You shall not make anything to be with Megods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.