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Exodus 17:8-19:15
New International Version
Exodus 17:8-19:15
New International Version
The Amalekites Defeated
8 The Amalekites(A) came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.(B) 9 Moses said to Joshua,(C) “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff(D) of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur(E) went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,(F) but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.(G) 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite(H) army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write(I) this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out(J) the name of Amalek(K) from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar(L) and called(M) it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[a] the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites(N) from generation to generation.”(O)
Jethro Visits Moses
18 Now Jethro,(P) the priest of Midian(Q) 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.(R)
2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,(S) his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons.(T) One son was named Gershom,[c] for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;(U) 4 and the other was named Eliezer,[d](V) for he said, “My father’s God was my helper;(W) he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain(X) of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down(Y) and kissed(Z) him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses 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(AA) they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved(AB) them.
9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things(AC) the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord,(AD) who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,(AE) for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”(AF) 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,(AG) brought a burnt offering(AH) and other sacrifices(AI) to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal(AJ) with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence(AK) of God.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When 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?”
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.(AL) 16 Whenever they have a dispute,(AM) it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”(AN)
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.(AO) 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.(AP) You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes(AQ) to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions,(AR) and show them the way they are to live(AS) and how they are to behave.(AT) 21 But select capable men(AU) from all the people—men who fear(AV) God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain(AW)—and appoint them as officials(AX) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case(AY) to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share(AZ) it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders(BA) of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.(BB) 26 They served as judges(BC) for the people at all times. The difficult cases(BD) they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.(BE)
27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.(BF)
At Mount Sinai
19 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt(BG)—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.(BH) 2 After they set out from Rephidim,(BI) they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.(BJ)
3 Then Moses went up to God,(BK) and the Lord called(BL) to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,(BM) and how I carried you on eagles’ wings(BN) and brought you to myself.(BO) 5 Now if you obey me fully(BP) and keep my covenant,(BQ) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.(BR) Although the whole earth(BS) is mine, 6 you[e] will be for me a kingdom of priests(BT) and a holy nation.’(BU) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders(BV) of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.(BW) 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”(BX) So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,(BY) so that the people will hear me speaking(BZ) with you and will always put their trust(CA) in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate(CB) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes(CC) 11 and be ready by the third day,(CD) because on that day the Lord will come down(CE) on Mount Sinai(CF) in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits(CG) for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned(CH) or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn(CI) sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”(CJ)
14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.(CK) 15 Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain(CL) from sexual relations.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 17:16 Or to
- Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Exodus 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
- Exodus 18:4 Eliezer means my God is helper.
- Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. 6 You
Exodus 17:8-19:15
King James Version
Exodus 17:8-19:15
King James Version
8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
16 For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
18 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that 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 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to 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 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
19 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.
10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
New International Version (NIV) 
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