Exodus 18-20

Christian Standard Bible

Jethro’s Visit

18 Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian,^(A) heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.

² Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah,^(B) Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, ³ along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom^[a] (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”)^{(C) 4} and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword”).^[b]

⁵ Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, along with Moses’s wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.^{(D) 6} He sent word to Moses, “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, bowed down,^(E) and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been^[c] and went into the tent. ⁸ Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord rescued them.^(F)

⁹ Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ “Blessed be the Lord,”^(G) Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt! ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”^[d](H)

¹² Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’s father-in-law in God’s presence.

¹³ The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”^(I)

¹⁷ “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. ¹⁸ “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.^{(J) 19} Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. ²⁰ Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.^{(K) 21} But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit.^(L) Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.^{(M) 22} They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,^[e] and they will bear it with you.^{(N) 23} If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”^[f]

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²⁶ They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

²⁷ Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land.^(O)

Israel at Sinai

19 In the third month from the very day the Israelites left the land of Egypt, they came to the Sinai Wilderness. ² They traveled from Rephidim, came to the Sinai Wilderness, and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain.^(P)

³ Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called^(Q) to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites: ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.^{(R) 5} Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant,^(S) you will be my own possession^(T) out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’^(U) These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

⁷ After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ Then all the people responded together, “We will do all that the Lord has spoken.”^(V) So Moses brought the people’s words back to the Lord.

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,^(W) so that the people will hear when I speak^(X) with you and will always believe you.” Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord, ¹⁰ and the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes^{(Y) 11} and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.^{(Z) 12} Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death.^{(AA) 13} No hand may touch him;^[g] instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows and not live, whether animal or human. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”

¹⁴ Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ He said to the people, “Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women.”

¹⁶ On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. ¹⁷ Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.^(AB) Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,^(AC) and the whole mountain shook violently.^{(AD) 19} As the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.^(AE)

²⁰ The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. ²¹ The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.^{(AF) 22} Even the priests who come near the Lord must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out in anger against them.”^(AG)

²³ Moses responded to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since you warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it.” ²⁴ And the Lord replied to him, “Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out in anger against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments

20 Then God spoke all these words:

The People’s Reaction

¹⁸ All the people witnessed^[h] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it^[i] they trembled and stood at a distance.^{(AX) 19} “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”^(AY)

²⁰ Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not^[j] sin.”^{(AZ) 21} And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the total darkness where God was.^(BA)

Moses Receives Additional Laws

²² Then the Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.^{(BB) 23} Do not make gods of silver to rival me; do not make gods of gold for yourselves.^(BC)

²⁴ “Make an earthen altar for me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your flocks and herds. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause my name to be remembered.^{(BD) 25} If you make a stone altar for me, do not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.^{(BE) 26} Do not go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.