Study Desk

Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian,^(a) heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah,^(b) Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land")^[a](c)

and the other Eliezer (because he had said, "The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword").^[b]

Moses' father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses' wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.^(d)

He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."

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.

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 delivered them.^(f)

Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when He rescued them from the power of the Egyptians.

"Praise the Lord ,"^(g) Jethro exclaimed, "who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians.

Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because He did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel."^[d](h)

Then Jethro, Moses' 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' father-in-law in God's presence.

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening.

When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, "What is this thing you're doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"

Moses replied to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

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⁾

"What you're doing is not good," Moses' father-in-law said to him.

"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)

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.

Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.^(k)

But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes.^(l) Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.^(m)

They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,^[e] and they will bear it with you.⁽ⁿ⁾

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]

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.^(o)

In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai.

After they departed from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.^(a)

Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called^(b) to him from the mountain: "This is what you must say to the house of Jacob, and explain to the Israelites:

‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me.^(c)

Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant,^(d) you will be My own possession^(e) out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine,

and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.'^(f) These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites."

After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

Then all the people responded together, "We will do all that the Lord has spoken."^(g) So Moses brought the people's words back to the Lord .

The Lord said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,^(h) so that the people will hear when I speak⁽ⁱ⁾ with you and will always believe you." Then Moses reported the people's words to the Lord .

And the Lord told Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes^(j)

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.^(k)

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 will be put to death.^(l)

No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows. No animal or man will live. When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain."

Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.

He said to the people, "Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women."

On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.

Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.^(m) Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,⁽ⁿ⁾ and the whole mountain shook violently.^(o)

As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.^(p)

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.

The Lord directed Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord ; otherwise many of them will die.^(q)

Even the priests who come near the Lord must purify themselves or the Lord will break out in anger against them."^(r)

But Moses responded to the Lord , "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since You warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy."

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."

So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.^(a)

Do not have other gods besides Me.^(b)

Do not make an idol^(c) for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

⁵You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,^(d) punishing the children for the fathers' sin, to the third and fourth generations^(e) of those who hate Me,

⁶but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.^(f)

Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.^(g)

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:^(h)

⁹You are to labor six days and do all your work,⁽ⁱ⁾

¹⁰but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates.^(j)

¹¹For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

Honor your father and your mother^(k) so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Do not murder.^(l)

Do not commit adultery.^(m)

Do not steal.⁽ⁿ⁾

Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.^(o)

Do not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.^(p)

All the people witnessed^[a] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it^[b] they trembled and stood at a distance.^(q)

"You speak to us, and we will listen," they said to Moses, "but don't let God speak to us, or we will die."^(r)

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^[c] sin."^(s)

And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.^(t)

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.^(u)

You must not make gods of silver to rival Me; you must not make gods of gold for yourselves.^[d](v)

"You must make an earthen altar for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, as well as your cattle. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause My name to be remembered.^(w)

If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.^(x)

You must not go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.

"These are the ordinances that you must set before them:

"When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man^[a] without paying anything.^(a)

If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with^[b] a wife, his wife is to leave with him.

If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.

"But if the slave declares: ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,'^(b)

his master is to bring him to the judges^[c] and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave,^[d] she is not to leave as the male slaves do.^(c)

If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her.

Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters.

If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.^(d)

And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any exchange of money.^[e]

"Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.^(e)

But if he didn't intend any harm,^[f] and yet God caused it to happen by his hand, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.^(f)

If a person schemes and willfully^[g] acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from My altar to be put to death.^(g)

"Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.

"Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.^(h)

"Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.⁽ⁱ⁾

"When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed,

if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time^[h] and provide for his complete recovery.

"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse,^[i] the owner must be punished.^[j]

However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished^[k] because he is his owner's property.^[l](j)