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Chapter 18
Jethro Visits Moses
1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
3and her two sons. One son was named Gershom,Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for an alien there. for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
4and the other was named Eliezer,Eliezer means my God is helper. for he said, “My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.
6Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.
8Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.
9Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10He said, “Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”
12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God's will.
16Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws.”
17Moses' father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.
18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
19Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
20Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.
21But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
22Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.
23If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
25He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
26They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
Chapter 19
At Mount Sinai
1In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on the very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.
2After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:
4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
6youOr possession, for the whole earth is mine. 6 You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.
8The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
9The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
10And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes
11and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
12Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
13He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain.”
14After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
15Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”
16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountainMost Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint all the people trembled violently,
19and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.Or and God answered him with thunder
20The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up
21and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.
22Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”
23Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”
24The LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.”
25So Moses went down to the people and told them.
Chapter 20
The Ten Commandments
1And God spoke all these words:
2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3“You shall have no other gods beforeOr besides me.
4“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land 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 give false testimony against your neighbor.
17“You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
18When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance
19and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
21The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
Idols and Altars
22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:
23Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
24“‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings,Traditionally peace offerings your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.
25If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.
26And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’

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