The Daily Audio Bible

⁸ Then ‘Amalek came and fought with Isra’el at Refidim. ⁹ Moshe said to Y’hoshua, “Choose men for us, go out, and fight with ‘Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with God’s staff in my hand.” ¹⁰ Y’hoshua did as Moshe had told him and fought with ‘Amalek. Then Moshe, Aharon and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ When Moshe raised his hand, Isra’el prevailed; but when he let it down, ‘Amalek prevailed. ¹² However, Moshe’s hands grew heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aharon and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other; so that his hands stayed steady until sunset. ¹³ Thus Y’hoshua defeated ‘Amalek, putting their people to the sword.

(Maftir) ¹⁴ Adonai said to Moshe, “Write this in a book to be remembered, and tell it to Y’hoshua: I will completely blot out any memory of ‘Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵ Moshe built an altar, called it Adonai Nissi [Adonai is my banner/miracle], ¹⁶ and said, “Because their hand was against the throne of Yah, Adonai will fight ‘Amalek generation after generation.”

Haftarah B’shallach: Shof’tim (Judges) 4:4–5:31 (A); 5:1–31 (S)

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’shallach: Luke 2:22–24; Yochanan (John) 6:25–35; 19:31–37; 1 Corinthians 10:1–13; 2 Corinthians 8:1–15; Revelation 15:1–4

Parashah 17: Yitro (Jethro) 18:1–20:23(26)

18 Now Yitro the priest of Midyan, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moshe and for Isra’el his people, how Adonai had brought Isra’el out of Egypt. ² After Moshe had sent away his wife Tzipporah and her two sons, Yitro Moshe’s father-in-law had taken them back. ³ The name of the one son was Gershom, for Moshe had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” ⁴ The name of the other was Eli‘ezer [my God helps], “because the God of my father helped me by rescuing me from Pharaoh’s sword.” ⁵ Yitro Moshe’s father-in-law brought Moshe’s sons and wife to him in the desert where he was encamped, at the mountain of God. ⁶ He sent word to Moshe, “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

⁷ Moshe went out to meet his father-in-law, prostrated himself and kissed him. Then, after inquiring of each other’s welfare, they entered the tent. ⁸ Moshe told his father-in-law all that Adonai had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Isra’el’s sake, all the hardships they had suffered while traveling and how Adonai had rescued them. ⁹ Yitro rejoiced over all the good that Adonai had done for Isra’el by rescuing them from the Egyptians. ¹⁰ Yitro said, “Blessed be Adonai, who has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh, who has rescued the people from the harsh hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹ Now I know that Adonai is greater than all other gods, because he rescued those who were treated so arrogantly.” ¹² Yitro Moshe’s father-in-law brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aharon came with all the leaders of Isra’el to share the meal before God with Moshe’s father-in-law.

(ii) ¹³ The following day Moshe sat to settle disputes for the people, while the people stood around Moshe from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When Moshe’s father-in-law saw all that he was doing to the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit there alone, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?” ¹⁵ Moshe answered his father-in-law, “It’s because the people come to me seeking God’s guidance. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me; I judge between one person and another, and I explain to them God’s laws and teachings.”

¹⁷ Moshe’s father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing isn’t good. ¹⁸ You will certainly wear yourself out — and not only yourself, but these people here with you as well. It’s too much for you — you can’t do it alone, by yourself. ¹⁹ So listen now to what I have to say. I will give you some advice, and God will be with you. You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases to God. ²⁰ You should also teach them the laws and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should do. ²¹ But you should choose from among all the people competent men who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² Normally, they will settle the people’s disputes. They should bring you the difficult cases; but ordinary matters they should decide themselves. In this way, they will make it easier for you and share the load with you. ²³ If you do this — and God is directing you to do it — you will be able to endure; and all these people too will arrive at their destination peacefully.”

(iii) ²⁴ Moshe paid attention to his father-in-law’s counsel and did everything he said. ²⁵ Moshe chose competent men from all Isra’el and made them heads over the people, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²⁶ As a general rule, they settled the people’s disputes — the difficult cases they brought to Moshe, but every simple matter they decided themselves.

²⁷ Then Moshe let his father-in-law leave, and he went off to his own country.

19 (iv) In the third month after the people of Isra’el had left the land of Egypt, the same day they came to the Sinai Desert. ² After setting out from Refidim and arriving at the Sinai Desert, they set up camp in the desert; there in front of the mountain, Isra’el set up camp.

³ Moshe went up to God, and Adonai called to him from the mountain: “Here is what you are to say to the household of Ya‘akov, to tell the people of Isra’el: ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; ⁶ and you will be a kingdom of cohanim for me, a nation set apart.’ These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra’el.”

(v) ⁷ Moshe came, summoned the leaders of the people and presented them with all these words which Adonai had ordered him to say. ⁸ All the people answered as one, “Everything Adonai has said, we will do.” Moshe reported the words of the people to Adonai. ⁹ Adonai said to Moshe, “See, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will be able to hear when I speak with you and also to trust in you forever.” Moshe had told Adonai what the people had said; ¹⁰ so Adonai said to Moshe, “Go to the people; today and tomorrow separate them for me by having them wash their clothing; ¹¹ and prepare for the third day. For on the third day, Adonai will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. ¹² You are to set limits for the people all around; and say, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or even touch its base; whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death. ¹³ No hand is to touch him; for he must be stoned or shot by arrows; neither animal nor human will be allowed to live.’ When the shofar sounds, they may go up on the mountain.”

(S: vi) ¹⁴ Moshe went down from the mountain to the people and separated the people for God, and they washed their clothing. ¹⁵ He said to the people, “Prepare for the third day; don’t approach a woman.”

³⁴ but when the P’rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz’dukim, they got together, ³⁵ and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh’eilah to trap him: ³⁶ “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?” ³⁷ He told him, “‘You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’^{[a] 38} This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. ³⁹ And a second is similar to it, ‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”

⁴¹ Then, turning to the assembled P’rushim, Yeshua put a sh’eilah to them: ⁴² “Tell me your view concerning the Messiah: whose son is he?” They said to him, “David’s.” ⁴³ “Then how is it,” he asked them, “that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord,’ when he says,

⁴⁵ If David thus calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could think of anything to say in reply; and from that day on, no one dared put to him another sh’eilah.

23 Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his talmidim: ² “The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim,” he said, “sit in the seat of Moshe. ³ So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don’t do what they do, because they talk but don’t act! ⁴ They tie heavy loads onto people’s shoulders but won’t lift a finger to help carry them. ⁵ Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for they make their t’fillin broad and their tzitziyot long, ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ and they love being greeted deferentially in the marketplaces and being called ‘Rabbi.’

⁸ “But you are not to let yourselves be called ‘Rabbi’; because you have one Rabbi, and you are all each other’s brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘Father.’ because you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to let yourselves be called ‘leaders,’ because you have one Leader, and he is the Messiah! ¹¹ The greatest among you must be your servant, ¹² for whoever promotes himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.