Jethro’s Advice

18 And aJethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that bGod had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took cZipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 with her dtwo sons, of whom the name of one was 1Gershom (for he said, e“I have been a 2stranger in a foreign land”) 4 and the name of the other was 3Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my fhelp, 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 gthe 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 hwent out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and ikissed 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 Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had jdelivered them. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the kgood which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, l“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 mgreater than all the gods; nfor in the very thing in which they 4behaved oproudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, 5took a burnt poffering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel qto eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses rsat 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 6sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because sthe people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have ta 7difficulty, 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; uyou are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you 8counsel, and God will be with you: Stand vbefore God for the people, so that you may wbring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall xteach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and ythe work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people zable men, such as afear God, bmen of truth, chating 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. dThen 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 ethey 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 fplace in peace.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And gMoses 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 hhard 9cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and ihe went his way to his own land.

Israel at Mount Sinai

19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, athey came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they had departed from bRephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before cthe mountain.

3 And dMoses went up to God, and the Lord ecalled to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 f‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how gI 1bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now htherefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and ikeep My covenant, then jyou shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is kMine. 6 And you shall be to Me a lkingdom of priests and a mholy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

7 So Moses came and called for the nelders of the people, and 2laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. 8 Then oall 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 pin the thick cloud, qthat 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 rconsecrate 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. sWhoever 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; tdo not come near your wives.”

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were uthunderings 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 vtrembled. 17 And wMoses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now xMount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon yit in fire. zIts smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and 3the awhole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, bMoses spoke, and cGod 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 dto gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the epriests who come near the Lord fconsecrate themselves, lest the Lord gbreak out against them.”

23 But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, h‘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.

The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke aall these words, saying:

2 b“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, cout of the house of 1bondage.

3 d“You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 e“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any 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 fyou shall not bow down to them nor 2serve them. gFor I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, hvisiting 3the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but ishowing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 j“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord kwill not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

8 l“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 mSix days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the nseventh 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, onor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For pin 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 q“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be rlong upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

13 s“You shall not murder.

14 t“You shall not commit uadultery.

15 v“You shall not steal.

16 w“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 x“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; yyou shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The People Afraid of God’s Presence

18 Now zall the people awitnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain bsmoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, c“You speak with us, and we will hear; but dlet not God speak with us, lest we die.”

20 And Moses said to the people, e“Do not fear; ffor God has come to test you, and gthat His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near hthe thick darkness where