Exodus 18:1-20:23

New American Standard Bible

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. ² And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife ^(B)Zipporah, after he had sent her away, ³ 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.” ⁴ 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.”

⁵ 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. ⁶ 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.” ⁷ 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. ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.

Moses on Sinai

19 ^(AH)In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, ^[ad]on that very day they came into the wilderness of ^(AI)Sinai. ² When they set out from ^(AJ)Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of ^(AK)the mountain. ³ And Moses went up to God, and ^(AL)the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ⁴ ‘^(AM)You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on ^(AN)eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now then, ^(AO)if you will indeed obey My voice and ^(AP)keep My covenant, then you shall be ^(AQ)My ^[ae]own possession among all the peoples, for ^(AR)all the earth is Mine; ⁶ and you shall be to Me ^(AS)a kingdom of priests and ^(AT)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

^7 (AU)So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ Then ^(AV)all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in ^(AW)a thick cloud, so that the ^(AX)people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰ The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(AY)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them ^(AZ)wash their garments; ¹¹ and have them ready for the third day, for on ^(BA)the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² But you shall set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘^[af]Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; ^(BB)whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death. ¹³ No hand shall touch him, but ^(BC)he shall certainly be stoned or ^[ag]shot through; whether animal or person, the violator shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to ^(BD)the mountain.” ¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. ¹⁵ He also said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

^16 (BE)So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were ^[ah]thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the ^[ai]foot of the mountain.

The Lord Visits Sinai

^18 (BF)Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it ^(BG)in fire; and its smoke ascended like ^(BH)the smoke of a furnace, and ^(BI)the entire mountain ^[aj]quaked violently. ¹⁹ When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(BJ)God answered him with ^[ak]thunder. ²⁰ Then ^(BK)the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, ^[al]warn the people, so that ^(BL)they do not break through to the Lord to stare, and many of them ^[am]perish. ²² Also have the ^(BM)priests who approach the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” ²³ And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You ^[an]warned us, saying, ‘^(BN)Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “^[ao]Go down and come up again, ^(BO)you and Aaron with you; but do not let the ^(BP)priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments

20 Then God spoke all these words, saying,

² “^(BQ)I am the Lord your God, ^(BR)who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of ^[ap]slavery.

³ “^(BS)You shall have no other ^(BT)gods ^[aq]before Me.

⁴ “^(BU)You shall not make for yourself ^[ar]an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. ^5 (BV)You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a ^(BW)jealous God, ^(BX)inflicting the ^[as]punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing ^[at]favor to ^(BY)thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

⁷ “^(BZ)You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not ^[au]leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

⁸ “Remember ^(CA)the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ^9 (CB)For six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it ^(CC)you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your ^[av]resident who ^[aw]stays with you. ^11 (CD)For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “^(CE)Honor your father and your mother, so that your ^(CF)days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

¹³ “^(CG)You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “^(CH)You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “^(CI)You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “^(CJ)You shall not ^[ax]give false testimony against your ^(CK)neighbor.

¹⁷ “^(CL)You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; ^(CM)you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

¹⁸ And ^(CN)all the people were watching and hearing the ^[ay]thunder and the lightning flashes, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it all, they trembled and stood at a distance. ^19 (CO)Then they said to Moses, “Speak ^[az]to us yourself and we will listen; but do not have God speak ^[ba]to us, or we will die!” ²⁰ However, Moses said to the people, “^(CP)Do not be afraid; for God has come in order ^(CQ)to test you, and in order that ^(CR)the fear of Him may ^[bb]remain with you, so that you will not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached ^(CS)the thick darkness where God was.

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that ^(CT)I have spoken ^[bc]to you from heaven. ^23 (CU)You shall not make other gods besides Me; ^(CV)gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.