The Lord Provides Manna

16 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of (A)Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on (B)the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel (C)grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “(D)If only we had died by the Lords hand in the land of Egypt, (E)when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (F)I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may (G)test them, whether or not they will walk in My [a]instruction. (H)On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening [b](I)you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning [c]you will see (J)the glory of the Lord, for (K)He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and (L)what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

And Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are (M)not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘(N)Come forward before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10 And it came about, as Aaron spoke to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, that they [d]looked toward the wilderness, and behold, (O)the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (P)I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘[e]At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and (Q)you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 So it came about at evening that (R)the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning (S)there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 (T)When the layer of dew [f]evaporated, behold, on the [g]surface of the wilderness (U)there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “[h]What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “(V)It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is [i]what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone gather [j]as much as he will eat; you shall take [k](W)an omer apiece according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18 When they measured it by the [l]omer, (X)the one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little; everyone gathered [m]as much as he would eat. 19 Moses said to them, “(Y)No one is to leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone [n]as much as he would eat; but when the sun became hot, it would melt.

The Sabbath

22 (Z)Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, [o]two omers for each one. When all the (AA)leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord [p]meant: (AB)Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and (AC)all that is left over [q]put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and (AD)it did not stink nor was there a maggot in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (AE)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be [r]none.”

27 Yet it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(AF)How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My [s]instructions? 29 See, [t]the Lord has given you the Sabbath; for that reason He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain, everyone, in his place; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of (AG)Israel named the bread [u]manna, and it was like (AH)coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. 32 Then Moses said, “This is [v]what the Lord has commanded: ‘A [w]full omer of it is to be kept safe throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “(AI)Take a jar and put a [x]full omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept safe throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before (AJ)the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And (AK)the sons of Israel ate the manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (Now (AL)an [y]omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 16:4 Or law
  2. Exodus 16:6 Lit and you
  3. Exodus 16:7 Lit and you
  4. Exodus 16:10 Lit turned
  5. Exodus 16:12 Lit Between the two evenings
  6. Exodus 16:14 Lit had gone up
  7. Exodus 16:14 Lit face of
  8. Exodus 16:15 Heb Man hu, cf. v 31
  9. Exodus 16:16 Lit the thing which
  10. Exodus 16:16 Lit according to his eating
  11. Exodus 16:16 Lit an omer for a head; about 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  12. Exodus 16:18 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  13. Exodus 16:18 Lit according to his eating
  14. Exodus 16:21 Lit according to his eating
  15. Exodus 16:22 About 6 qt. or 5.6 liters
  16. Exodus 16:23 Lit spoke
  17. Exodus 16:23 Lit lay up for you
  18. Exodus 16:26 Lit none on it
  19. Exodus 16:28 Or laws
  20. Exodus 16:29 Lit for the Lord
  21. Exodus 16:31 Heb man, cf. v 15
  22. Exodus 16:32 Lit the thing which
  23. Exodus 16:32 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  24. Exodus 16:33 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  25. Exodus 16:36 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters

Bread from Heaven

16 And they (A)journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and (B)Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel (C)complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, (D)“Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, (E)when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain (F)bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather [a]a certain quota every day, that I may (G)test them, whether they will (H)walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and (I)it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, (J)“At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see (K)the glory of the Lord; for He (L)hears your complaints against the Lord. But (M)what are we, that you complain against us?” Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but (N)against the Lord.”

Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, (O)‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’ ” 10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord (P)appeared in the cloud.

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (Q)“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, (R)‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and (S)in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

13 So it was that (T)quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning (U)the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was (V)a small round (W)substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

And Moses said to them, (X)“This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it (Y)according to each one’s need, one (Z)omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ”

17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, (AA)he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. 19 And Moses said, “Let no one (AB)leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they did not [b]heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is (AC)a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not (AD)stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (AE)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long (AF)do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of Israel called its name [c]Manna. And (AG)it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

32 Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, (AH)“Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up (AI)before the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And the children of Israel (AJ)ate manna (AK)forty years, (AL)until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 16:4 Lit. the portion of a day in its day
  2. Exodus 16:20 listen to
  3. Exodus 16:31 Lit. What? Ex. 16:15

Water in the Rock

17 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by [a]stages from the wilderness of (A)Sin, according to the [b]command of the Lord, and camped at (B)Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. So the people (C)quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water so that we may drink!” And Moses said to them, “(D)Why do you quarrel with me? (E)Why do you test the Lord?” But the people were thirsty for water there; and [c]they (F)grumbled against Moses and said, “Why is it that you have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill [d]us and [e]our children and [f](G)our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What am I to do with this people? A (H)little more and they will stone me!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of (I)the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which (J)you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at (K)Horeb; and (L)you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Then he named the place [g](M)Massah and [h](N)Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they (O)tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”

Miraculous Battle against Amalek

Then (P)Amalek came and fought against Israel at (Q)Rephidim. So Moses said to (R)Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with (S)the staff of God in my hand.” 10 Joshua did just as Moses [i]told him, [j]and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and (T)Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 So it came about, when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed; but when he let his hand [k]down, Amalek prevailed. 12 And Moses’ hands were heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur (U)supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 And Joshua [l]defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(V)Write this in [m]a book as a memorial and [n]recite it to Joshua, [o]that (W)I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an (X)altar and named it (Y)The Lord is My Banner; 16 and he said, “[p](Z)Because the Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:1 Lit their journeyings
  2. Exodus 17:1 Lit mouth
  3. Exodus 17:3 Lit the people
  4. Exodus 17:3 Lit me
  5. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  6. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  7. Exodus 17:7 I.e., test
  8. Exodus 17:7 I.e., quarrel
  9. Exodus 17:10 Lit said to
  10. Exodus 17:10 Lit to fight
  11. Exodus 17:11 Lit rest
  12. Exodus 17:13 Lit weakened
  13. Exodus 17:14 Lit the book
  14. Exodus 17:14 Lit place it in the ears of
  15. Exodus 17:14 Or for
  16. Exodus 17:16 Or Because a hand is against the throne of the Lord; lit Because a hand upon the throne of Yah

Water from the Rock(A)

17 Then (B)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of (C)Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to (D)drink. (E)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you (F)tempt the Lord?”

And the people thirsted there for water, and the people (G)complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our (H)livestock with thirst?”

So Moses (I)cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to (J)stone[a] me!”

And the Lord said to Moses, (K)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which (L)you struck the river, and go. (M)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place (N)Massah[b] and [c]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they [d]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Victory over the Amalekites(O)

(P)Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with (Q)the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses (R)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became [e]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, (S)“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that (T)I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [f]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [g]the Lord has (U)sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:4 Put me to death by stoning
  2. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Tempted
  3. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Contention
  4. Exodus 17:7 tested
  5. Exodus 17:12 Weary of being held up
  6. Exodus 17:15 Heb. YHWH Nissi
  7. Exodus 17:16 Lit. a hand is upon the throne of the Lord

Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law

18 Now (A)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife (B)Zipporah, after he had sent her away, and her (C)two sons, [a]one of whom was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been (D)a stranger in a foreign land.” And [b]the other was named [c](E)Eliezer, for he said, “(F)The God of my father was my help, and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses [d]in the wilderness where he was camped, at (G)the mountain of God. And he [e]sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and (H)he bowed down and (I)kissed him; and they (J)asked each other about their welfare, and went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians (K)for Israel’s sake, all the (L)hardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how (M)the Lord had rescued them. And Jethro rejoiced over all (N)the goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, [f]in rescuing [g]them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 So Jethro said, “(O)Blessed be the Lord who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that (P)the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, [h](Q)it was proven when they acted insolently against [i]the people.” 12 (R)Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat [j]a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Jethro Counsels Moses

13 And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me (S)to inquire of God. 16 When they have a [k](T)dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 (U)You will surely wear out, both yourself and [l]these people who are with you, because the [m]task is too heavy for you; (V)you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to [n]me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. [o]You be the people’s representative before God, and you (W)bring the [p]disputes to God, 20 (X)then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them (Y)the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall [q]select out of all the people (Z)able men (AA)who fear God, men of truth, those who (AB)hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, [r]of hundreds, [s]of fifties, and [t]of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be (AC)that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and (AD)they will carry the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to [u]endure, and all [v]these people also will go to [w]their places in peace.”

24 So Moses listened [x]to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose (AE)able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, [y]of hundreds, [z]of fifties, and [aa]of tens. 26 Then they judged the people at all times; (AF)they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. 27 Then Moses [ab](AG)said goodbye to his father-in-law, and [ac]Jethro went his way to his own land.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 18:3 Lit the name of the one was
  2. Exodus 18:4 Lit The name of the other was
  3. Exodus 18:4 Heb El-ezer; i.e., my God is help
  4. Exodus 18:5 Lit unto
  5. Exodus 18:6 Lit said
  6. Exodus 18:9 Lit in that He had delivered
  7. Exodus 18:9 Lit him
  8. Exodus 18:11 Lit in the thing in which they acted
  9. Exodus 18:11 Lit them
  10. Exodus 18:12 Lit bread
  11. Exodus 18:16 Lit matter
  12. Exodus 18:18 Lit this
  13. Exodus 18:18 Lit matter
  14. Exodus 18:19 Lit my voice
  15. Exodus 18:19 Lit You be for the people in front of God
  16. Exodus 18:19 Lit matters
  17. Exodus 18:21 Lit see
  18. Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
  19. Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
  20. Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
  21. Exodus 18:23 Lit stand
  22. Exodus 18:23 Lit this
  23. Exodus 18:23 Lit his
  24. Exodus 18:24 Lit to the voice of
  25. Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
  26. Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
  27. Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
  28. Exodus 18:27 Lit sent off his father-in-law
  29. Exodus 18:27 Lit he

Jethro’s Advice(A)

18 And (B)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that (C)God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took (D)Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her (E)two sons, of whom the name of one was [a]Gershom (for he said, (F)“I have been a [b]stranger in a foreign land”) and the name of the other was [c]Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my (G)help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at (H)the mountain of God. 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.”

So Moses (I)went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and (J)kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. 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 (K)delivered them. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the (L)good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, (M)“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 (N)greater than all the gods; (O)for in the very thing in which they [d]behaved (P)proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, [e]took a burnt (Q)offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel (R)to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses (S)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 [f]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because (T)the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have (U)a [g]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; (V)you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you [h]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand (W)before God for the people, so that you may (X)bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall (Y)teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and (Z)the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people (AA)able men, such as (AB)fear God, (AC)men of truth, (AD)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. (AE)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 (AF)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 (AG)place in peace.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And (AH)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 (AI)hard[i] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and (AJ)he went his way to his own land.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 18:3 Lit. Stranger There
  2. Exodus 18:3 sojourner, temporary resident
  3. Exodus 18:4 Lit. My God Is Help
  4. Exodus 18:11 acted presumptuously
  5. Exodus 18:12 So with MT, LXX; Syr., Tg., Vg. offered
  6. Exodus 18:14 Sit as judge
  7. Exodus 18:16 dispute
  8. Exodus 18:19 advice
  9. Exodus 18:26 difficult matters

Unity of the Spirit

Therefore I, (A)the prisoner of the Lord, (B)urge you to (C)walk in a manner worthy of the (D)calling with which you have been (E)called, with all (F)humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another (G)in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the (H)bond of peace. There is (I)one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one (J)hope of your calling; (K)one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (L)who is over all and through all and in all.

But (M)to each one of us (N)grace was given (O)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore [a]it says,

(P)When He ascended on high,
He (Q)led captive the captives,
And He gave gifts to people.”

(Now this expression, “He (R)ascended,” what [b]does it mean except that He also [c]had descended into (S)the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended (T)far above all the heavens, so that He might (U)fill all things.) 11 And He (V)gave (W)some as apostles, some as prophets, some as (X)evangelists, some as [d]pastors and (Y)teachers, 12 (Z)for the equipping of the [e]saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of (AA)the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to (AB)the unity of the faith, and of the [f](AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a (AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature [g]which belongs to the (AE)fullness of Christ. 14 [h]As a result, we are (AF)no longer to be children, (AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by (AH)craftiness [i]in (AI)deceitful scheming; 15 but [j]speaking the truth (AJ)in love, [k]we are to (AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the (AL)head, that is, Christ, 16 from whom (AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together [l]by what every joint supplies, according to the [m]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself (AN)in love.

The Christian’s Walk

17 (AO)So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, (AP)that you are to no longer walk just as the [n]Gentiles also walk, in the (AQ)futility of their minds, 18 being (AR)darkened in their understanding, [o](AS)excluded from the life of God because of the (AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the (AU)hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having (AV)become callous, (AW)have given themselves up to (AX)indecent behavior [p]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (AY)learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you (AZ)have heard Him and have (BA)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to (BB)rid yourselves of the (BC)old [q]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (BD)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you are to be (BE)renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to (BF)put on the (BG)new [r]self, which [s](BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, (BI)ridding yourselves of falsehood, (BJ)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are (BK)parts of one another. 26 (BL)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not (BM)give the devil [t]an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather (BN)he must labor, (BO)producing with his own hands what is good, (BP)so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no [u](BQ)unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for (BR)edification [v]according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 (BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [w]by whom you were (BT)sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (BU)All bitterness, wrath, anger, [x]clamor, and slander must be (BV)removed from you, along with all (BW)malice. 32 (BX)Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, (BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven [y]you.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:8 Or He
  2. Ephesians 4:9 Lit is it except
  3. Ephesians 4:9 One early ms had first descended
  4. Ephesians 4:11 From Gr for shepherds
  5. Ephesians 4:12 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  6. Ephesians 4:13 Or true knowledge
  7. Ephesians 4:13 Lit of the fullness
  8. Ephesians 4:14 Lit So that we will no longer be
  9. Ephesians 4:14 Lit with regard to the scheming of deceit
  10. Ephesians 4:15 Or holding to; or being truthful in
  11. Ephesians 4:15 Or let’s grow up
  12. Ephesians 4:16 Lit through every joint of the supply
  13. Ephesians 4:16 Lit working in measure
  14. Ephesians 4:17 I.e., unbelieving Gentiles
  15. Ephesians 4:18 Or alienated
  16. Ephesians 4:19 Or greedy for the practice of every kind of impurity
  17. Ephesians 4:22 Lit person
  18. Ephesians 4:24 Lit person
  19. Ephesians 4:24 Lit according to God
  20. Ephesians 4:27 Lit a place
  21. Ephesians 4:29 Lit rotten
  22. Ephesians 4:29 Lit of the need
  23. Ephesians 4:30 Lit in
  24. Ephesians 4:31 Or shouting
  25. Ephesians 4:32 Two early mss us

Walk in Unity

I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to (A)walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit (B)in the bond of peace. (C)There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; (D)one Lord, (E)one faith, (F)one baptism; (G)one God and Father of all, who is above all, and (H)through all, and in [c]you all.

Spiritual Gifts

But (I)to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:

(J)“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

(K)(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also [d]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One (L)who ascended far above all the heavens, (M)that He might fill all things.)

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, (N)for the [e]edifying of (O)the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith (P)and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to (Q)a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be (R)children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of (S)deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the (T)head—Christ— 16 (U)from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should (V)no longer walk as [f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the (W)blindness of their heart; 19 (X)who, being past feeling, (Y)have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you (Z)put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and (AA)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you (AB)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

25 Therefore, putting away lying, (AC)Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for (AD)we are members of one another. 26 (AE)“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 (AF)nor give [g]place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather (AG)let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something (AH)to give him who has need. 29 (AI)Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but (AJ)what is good for necessary [h]edification, (AK)that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And (AL)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (AM)Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, [i]clamor, and (AN)evil speaking be put away from you, (AO)with all malice. 32 And (AP)be kind to one another, tenderhearted, (AQ)forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:1 Lit. in
  2. Ephesians 4:1 exhort, encourage
  3. Ephesians 4:6 NU omits you; M us
  4. Ephesians 4:9 NU omits first
  5. Ephesians 4:12 building up
  6. Ephesians 4:17 NU omits the rest of
  7. Ephesians 4:27 an opportunity
  8. Ephesians 4:29 building up
  9. Ephesians 4:31 loud quarreling