Exodus 18:1

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 18:2

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

Exodus 18:3

and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.

Exodus 18:4

The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

Exodus 18:5

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

Exodus 18:6

He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”

Exodus 18:7

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

Exodus 18:8

Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them.

Exodus 18:9

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Exodus 18:10

Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

Exodus 18:11

Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them.”

Exodus 18:12

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all of the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Exodus 18:13

It happened on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

Exodus 18:14

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

Exodus 18:15

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

Exodus 18:16

When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”

Exodus 18:17

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

Exodus 18:18

You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

Exodus 18:19

Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

Exodus 18:20

You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Exodus 18:21

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

Exodus 18:22

Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

Exodus 18:23

If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all of these people also will go to their place in peace.”

Exodus 18:24

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

Exodus 18:25

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.

Exodus 18:26

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

Exodus 18:27

Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

Exodus 19:1

In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

Exodus 19:2

When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain.

Exodus 19:3

Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

Exodus 19:4

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.

Exodus 19:5

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;

Exodus 19:6

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.”

Exodus 19:7

Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him.

Exodus 19:8

All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to Yahweh.

Exodus 19:9

Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.

Exodus 19:10

Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,

Exodus 19:11

and be ready against the third day; for on the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 19:12

You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 19:13

No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.”

Exodus 19:14

Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

Exodus 19:15

He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”

Exodus 19:16

It happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.

Exodus 19:17

Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.

Exodus 19:18

Mount Sinai, all it, smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

Exodus 19:19

When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.

Exodus 19:20

Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Exodus 19:21

Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish.

Exodus 19:22

Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break forth on them.”

Exodus 19:23

Moses said to Yahweh, “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’”

Exodus 19:24

Yahweh said to him, “Go down and you shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break forth on them.”

Exodus 19:25

So Moses went down to the people, and told them.

Exodus 20:1

God spoke all these words, saying,

Exodus 20:2

“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Exodus 20:3

“You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:4

“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Exodus 20:5

you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,

Exodus 20:6

and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20:7

“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Exodus 20:8

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:9

You shall labor six days, and do all your work,

Exodus 20:10

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;

Exodus 20:11

for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

Exodus 20:12

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

Exodus 20:13

“You shall not murder.

Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:15

“You shall not steal.

Exodus 20:16

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You 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.”

Exodus 20:18

All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.

Exodus 20:19

They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”

Exodus 20:20

Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.”

Exodus 20:21

The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:22

Yahweh said to Moses, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

Exodus 20:23

You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves.

Exodus 20:24

You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you.

Exodus 20:25

If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

Exodus 20:26

Neither shall you go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.’

Exodus 21:1

“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.

Exodus 21:2

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

Exodus 21:3

If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Exodus 21:4

If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

Exodus 21:5

But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’

Exodus 21:6

then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

Exodus 21:7

“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

Exodus 21:8

If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

Exodus 21:9

If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.

Exodus 21:10

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

Exodus 21:11

If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

Exodus 21:12

“One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

Exodus 21:13

but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

Exodus 21:14

If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

Exodus 21:15

“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:16

“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:17

“Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:18

“If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed;

Exodus 21:19

if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.

Exodus 21:20

“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

Exodus 21:21

Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

Exodus 21:22

“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.