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The Amalekites Attack
8 At Rephidim, Amalek[a](A) came and fought against Israel. 9 Moses said to Joshua,(B) “Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.”
10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 While Moses held up his hand,[b] Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand[c] down, Amalek prevailed.(C) 12 When Moses’s hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army[d] with the sword.
14 The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.”(D)
15 And Moses built an altar(E) and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.”[e] 16 He said, “Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward[f] the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Jethro’s Visit
18 Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian,(F) 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,(G) Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, 3 along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom[g] (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”)(H) 4 and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword”).[h]
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.(I) 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,(J) and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been[i] 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.(K)
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,”(L) 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.”[j](M)
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.”(N)
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.(O) 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.(P) 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit.(Q) Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.(R) 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,[k] and they will bear it with you.(S) 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.”[l]
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.(T)
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.(U)
3 Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called(V) 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.(W) 5 Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant,(X) you will be my own possession(Y) out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, 6 and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’(Z) 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.”(AA) 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,(AB) so that the people will hear when I speak(AC) 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(AD) 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.(AE) 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.(AF) 13 No hand may touch him;[m] 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.”
The Primary Commands
34 When(A) the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him:(B) 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.[a](C) 38 This is the greatest and most important[b] command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.[c](D) 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend[d] on these two commands.”(E)
The Question about the Messiah
41 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them,(F) 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
They replied, “David’s.”
43 He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit,[e] calls him ‘Lord’:(G)
44 The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet’?[f][g] (H)
45 “If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how, then, can he be his son?” 46 No one was able to answer him at all,[h] and from that day no one dared to question him anymore.(I)
Religious Hypocrites Denounced
23 Then(J) Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:(K) 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.(L) 3 Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.(M) 4 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry[i] and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.(N) 5 They do everything[j] to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries(O) and lengthen their tassels.[k](P) 6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,(Q) 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher,[l] and you are all brothers and sisters.(R) 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.(S) 10 You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(T) 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.(U)
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.(A)
8 My heart says this about you:
“Seek[a] his face.”
Lord, I will seek your face.(B)
9 Do not hide your face from me;(C)
do not turn your servant away in anger.(D)
You have been my helper;(E)
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.(F)
27 Can a man embrace fire
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can a man walk on burning coals
without scorching his feet?
29 So it is with the one who sleeps with
another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.(A)
30 People don’t despise the thief if he steals
to satisfy himself when he is hungry.(B)
31 Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;(C)
he must give up all the wealth in his house.
32 The one who commits adultery[a] lacks sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.(D)
33 He will get a beating[b] and dishonor,
and his disgrace will never be removed.
34 For jealousy enrages a husband,(E)
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not be appeased by anything
or be persuaded by lavish bribes.
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