New King James Version (NKJV)

The Passover Instituted

1 Now theLordspoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2 “This monthshallbeyour beginning of months; itshallbethe first month of the year to you.

3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On thetenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house ofhisfather, a lamb for a household.

4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house takeitaccording to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb.

5 Your lamb shall bewithout blemish, a male of the first year. You may takeitfrom the sheep or from the goats.

6 Now you shall keep it until thefourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.

7 And they shall takesomeof the blood and putiton the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.

8 Then they shall eat the flesh on thatnight;roasted in fire, withunleavened breadandwith bitterherbsthey shall eat it.

9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, butroasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails.

10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.

11 And thus you shall eat it:witha belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste.ItistheLord’s Passover.

12 ‘For Iwill pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; andagainst all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment:IamtheLord.

13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where youare.And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroyyouwhen I strike the land of Egypt.

14 ‘So this day shall be to youa memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to theLordthroughout your generations. You shall keep it as afeastby an everlasting ordinance.

15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day,that person shall be cut off from Israel.

16 On the first daythereshallbea holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; butthatwhich everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you.

17 So you shall observetheFeastofUnleavened Bread, foron this same day I will have brought your armiesout of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.

18 In the firstmonth,on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

19 Forseven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whetherheisa stranger or a native of the land.

20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ”

21 ThenMoses called for all theelders of Israel and said to them,“Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passoverlamb.

22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dipitin the blood thatisin the basin, andstrike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood thatisin the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.

23 For theLordwill pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees theblood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, theLordwill pass over the door andnot allowthe destroyer to come into your houses to strikeyou.

24 And you shallobserve this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever.

25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which theLordwill give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service.

26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’

27 that you shall say,‘Itisthe Passover sacrifice of theLord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the peoplebowed their heads and worshiped.

28 Then the children of Israel went away anddidso;just as theLordhad commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29 And it came to pass at midnight thattheLordstruck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive whowasin the dungeon, and all the firstborn oflivestock.

30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, fortherewasnot a house wheretherewasnot one dead.

The Exodus

31 Then hecalled for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people,both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve theLordas you havesaid.

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

33 And the Egyptiansurged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “Weshallallbedead.”

34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.

35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptiansarticles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing.

36 And theLordhad given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted themwhattheyrequested.Thusthey plundered the Egyptians.

37 Thenthe children of Israel journeyed fromRameses to Succoth, aboutsix hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.

38 Amixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal oflivestock.

39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, becausethey were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egyptwasfour hundred and thirty years.

41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass thatall the armies of theLordwent out from the land of Egypt.

42 Itisa night of solemn observance to theLordfor bringing them out of the land of Egypt. Thisisthat night of theLord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

Passover Regulations

43 And theLordsaid to Moses and Aaron, “Thisisthe ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it.

44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you havecircumcised him, then he may eat it.

45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it.

46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house,nor shall you break one of its bones.

47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

48 Andwhen a stranger dwells with youandwantsto keep the Passover to theLord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as theLordcommanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

51 And it came to pass, on that very same day, that theLordbrought the children of Israel out of the land of Egyptaccording to their armies.

The Firstborn Consecrated

1 Then theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel,bothof man and beast; it is Mine.”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

3 And Moses said to the people:“Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; forby strength of hand theLordbrought you out of thisplace.No leavened bread shall be eaten.

4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.

5 And it shall be, when theLordbrings you into theland of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which Heswore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,that you shall keep this service in this month.

6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh daythereshallbea feast to theLord.

7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. Andno leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.

8 And you shalltell your son in that day, saying, ‘Thisisdonebecause of what theLorddid for me when I came up from Egypt.’

9 It shall be asa sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that theLord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand theLordhas brought you out of Egypt.

10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

The Law of the Firstborn

11 “And it shall be, when theLordbrings you into the land of theCanaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you,

12 that you shall set apart to theLordall that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the malesshallbetheLord’s.

13 Butevery firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeemit,then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sonsyou shall redeem.

14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘Whatisthis?’ that you shall say to him,‘By strength of hand theLordbrought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, thattheLordkilled all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to theLordall males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

16 It shall be asa sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand theLordbrought us out of Egypt.”

The Wilderness Way

17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead thembyway of the land of the Philistines, although thatwasnear; for God said, “Lest perhaps the peoplechange their minds when they see war, andreturn to Egypt.”

18 So Godled the people aroundbyway of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.

19 And Moses took thebones ofJoseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying,“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”

20 Sothey took their journey fromSuccoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.

21 AndtheLordwent before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by nightfrombefore the people.

The Red Sea Crossing

1 Now theLordspoke to Moses, saying:

2 “Speak to the children of Israel,that they turn and camp beforePi Hahiroth, betweenMigdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel,‘Theyarebewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’

4 ThenI will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and Iwill gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army,that the Egyptians may know that IamtheLord.” And they did so.

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, andthe heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”

6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.

7 Also, he tooksix hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.

8 And theLordhardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; andthe children of Israel went out with boldness.

9 So theEgyptians pursued them, all the horsesandchariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israelcried out to theLord.

11 Then they said to Moses, “Becausetherewereno graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?

12 Isthis not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? Foritwouldhavebeenbetter for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And Moses said to the people,“Do not be afraid.Stand still, and see thesalvation of theLord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shallsee again no more forever.

14 TheLordwill fight for you, and you shallhold your peace.”

15 And theLordsaid to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.

16 Butlift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on drygroundthrough the midst of the sea.

17 And I indeed willharden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I willgain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.

18 Then the Egyptians shall know that IamtheLord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 And the Angel of God,who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.

20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darknesstotheone,and it gave light by nighttotheother,so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and theLordcaused the sea to gobackby a strong east wind all that night, andmade the sea into dryland,and the waters weredivided.

22 Sothe children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dryground,and the waterswerea wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 Now it came to pass, in the morningwatch, thattheLordlooked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.

25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for theLordfights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”

27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the seareturned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So theLordoverthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 Thenthe waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen,andall the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.

29 Butthe children of Israel had walked on drylandin the midst of the sea, and the waterswerea wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 So theLordsaved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israelsaw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

31 Thus Israel saw the great work which theLordhad done in Egypt; so the people feared theLord, andbelieved theLordand His servant Moses.

The Song of Moses

1 ThenMoses and the children of Israel sang this song to theLord, and spoke, saying:

# “I willsing to theLord,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!

2 TheLordismy strength andsong,

And He has become my salvation;

# Heismy God, andI will praise Him;

# Myfather’s God, and Iwill exalt Him.

3 TheLordisa man ofwar;

# TheLordisHisname.

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;

# His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.

5 The depths have covered them;

# They sank to the bottom like a stone.

6 “Yourright hand, OLord, has become glorious in power;

Your right hand, OLord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.

7 And in the greatness of Yourexcellence

You have overthrown those who rose against You;

# You sent forthYour wrath;

# Itconsumed themlike stubble.

8 Andwith the blast of Your nostrils

The waters were gathered together;

# The floods stood upright like a heap;

The depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,

I will overtake,

# I willdivide the spoil;

My desire shall be satisfied on them.

I will draw my sword,

My hand shall destroy them.’

10 You blew with Your wind,

The sea covered them;

They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Whoislike You, OLord, among the gods?

# Whoislike You,glorious in holiness,

# Fearful inpraises,doing wonders?

12 You stretched out Your right hand;

The earth swallowed them.

13 You in Your mercy haveled forth

The people whom You have redeemed;

You have guidedthemin Your strength

# ToYour holy habitation.

14 “Thepeople will hearandbe afraid;

# Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.

15 Thenthe chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;

# The mighty men of Moab,

Trembling will take hold of them;

# All the inhabitants of Canaan willmelt away.

16 Fear and dread will fall on them;

By the greatness of Your arm

# They will beasstill as a stone,

Till Your people pass over, OLord,

Till the people pass over

# Whom You have purchased.

17 You will bring them in andplant them

# In themountain of Your inheritance,

Inthe place, OLord,whichYou have made

For Your own dwelling,

# Thesanctuary, O Lord,whichYour hands have established.

18 “TheLordshall reign forever and ever.”

19 For thehorses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, andtheLordbrought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on drylandin the midst of the sea.

The Song of Miriam

20 Then Miriamthe prophetess,the sister of Aaron,took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after herwith timbrels and with dances.

21 And Miriamanswered them:

# “Sing to theLord,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!”

Bitter Waters Made Sweet

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness ofShur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found nowater.

23 Now when they came toMarah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for theywerebitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

24 And the peoplecomplained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

25 So he cried out to theLord, and theLordshowed him a tree.When he castitinto the waters, the waters were made sweet.

# There Hemade a statute and an ordinance for them, and thereHe tested them,

26 and said,“If you diligently heed the voice of theLordyour God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of thediseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For IamtheLordwho heals you.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where thereweretwelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Bread from Heaven

1 And theyjourneyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim andSinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.

2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israelcomplained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

3 And the children of Israel said to them,“Oh, that we had died by the hand of theLordin the land of Egypt,when we sat by the pots of meatandwhen we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “Behold, I will rainbread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I maytest them, whether they willwalk in My law or not.

5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, andit shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

6 Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel,“At evening you shall know that theLordhas brought you out of the land of Egypt.

7 And in the morning you shall seethe glory of theLord; for Hehears your complaints against theLord. Butwhatarewe, that you complain against us?”

8 Also Moses said, “Thisshallbeseenwhen theLordgives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for theLordhears your complaints which you make against Him. And whatarewe? Your complaintsarenot against us butagainst theLord.”

9 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel,‘Come near before theLord, for He has heard your complaints.’ ”

10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of theLordappeared in the cloud.

11 And theLordspoke to Moses, saying,

12 “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying,‘At twilight you shall eat meat, andin the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that IamtheLordyour God.’ ”

13 So it was thatquails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morningthe dew lay all around the camp.

14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, wasa small roundsubstance,asfine as frost on the ground.

15 So when the children of Israel sawit,they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what itwas.

# And Moses said to them,“Thisisthe bread which theLordhas given you to eat.

16 This is the thing which theLordhas commanded: ‘Let every man gather itaccording to each one’s need, oneomer for each person,accordingtothenumber of persons; let every man take forthosewhoarein his tent.’ ”

17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.

18 So when they measureditby omers,he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.

19 And Moses said, “Let no oneleave any of it till morning.”

20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.

21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

22 And so it was, on the sixth day,thatthey gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

23 Then he said to them, “ThisiswhattheLordhas said: ‘Tomorrowisa Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to theLord. Bake what you will baketoday,and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ”

24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did notstink, nor were there any worms in it.

25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for todayisa Sabbath to theLord; today you will not find it in the field.

26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 Now it happenedthatsomeof the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.

28 And theLordsaid to Moses, “How longdo you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?

29 See! For theLordhas given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of Israel called its name Manna. Anditwaslike white coriander seed, and the taste of itwaslike wafersmadewith honey.

32 Then Moses said, “Thisisthe thing which theLordhas commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ”

33 And Moses said to Aaron,“Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before theLord, to be kept for your generations.”

34 As theLordcommanded Moses, so Aaron laid it upbefore the Testimony, to be kept.

35 And the children of Israelate mannaforty years,until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

36 Now an omerisone-tenth of an ephah.

Water from the Rock

1 Thenall the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness ofSin, according to the commandment of theLord, and camped in Rephidim; buttherewasno water for the people todrink.

2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

# So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do youtempt theLord?”

3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the peoplecomplained against Moses, and said, “Whyisit you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and ourlivestock with thirst?”

4 So Mosescried out to theLord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready tostone me!”

5 And theLordsaid to Moses,“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with whichyou struck the river, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 So he called the name of the placeMassah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted theLord, saying, “Is theLordamong us or not?”

Victory over the Amalekites

8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill withthe rod of God in my hand.”

10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And so it was, when Mosesheld up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses’ handsbecameheavy; so they took a stone and putitunder him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then theLordsaid to Moses,“Write thisfora memorial in the book and recountitin the hearing of Joshua, thatI will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”

15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;

16 for he said, “Because theLordhassworn: theLordwillhavewar with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro’s Advice

1 AndJethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all thatGod had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that theLordhad brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, tookZipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

3 with hertwo sons, of whom the name of onewasGershom (for he said,“I have been a stranger in a foreign land”)

4 and the name of the otherwasEliezer (forhesaid,“The God of my fatherwasmyhelp, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);

5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped atthe mountain of God.

6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

7 So Moseswent out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, andkissed him. And they asked each other abouttheirwell-being, and they went into the tent.

8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that theLordhad done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, andhowtheLordhaddelivered them.

9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all thegood which theLordhad done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 And Jethro said,“BlessedbetheLord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh,andwho has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that theLordisgreater than all the gods;for in the very thing in which they behavedproudly,Hewasabove them.”

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burntoffering andothersacrificestoofferto God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israelto eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Mosessat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.

14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “Whatisthis thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Becausethe people come to me to inquire of God.

16 When they havea difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you doisnot good.

18 Both you and these people whoarewith you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thingistoo much for you;you are not able to perform it by yourself.

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Standbefore God for the people, so that you maybring the difficulties to God.

20 And you shallteach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk andthe work they must do.

21 Moreover you shall select from all the peopleable men, such asfear God,men of truth,hating covetousness; and placesuchover themtoberulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 And let them judge the people at all times.Then it will bethatevery great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, forthey will beartheburdenwith you.

23 If you do this thing, and Godsocommands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to theirplace in peace.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

25 AndMoses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 So they judged the people at all times; thehard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, andhe went his way to his own land.

Israel at Mount Sinai

1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day,they cametothe Wilderness of Sinai.

2 For they had departed fromRephidim, had cometothe Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there beforethe mountain.

3 AndMoses went up to God, and theLordcalled to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, andhowI bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

5 Nowtherefore, if you will indeed obey My voice andkeep My covenant, thenyou shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earthisMine.

6 And you shall be to Me akingdom of priests and aholy nation.’ Thesearethe words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

7 So Moses came and called for theelders of the people, and laid before them all these words which theLordcommanded him.

8 Thenall the people answered together and said, “All that theLordhas spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to theLord.

9 And theLordsaid to Moses, “Behold, I come to youin the thick cloud,that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”

So Moses told the words of the people to theLord.

10 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “Go to the people andconsecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.

11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day theLordwill come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselvesthatyou donotgo up to the mountain or touch its base.Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.

13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shotwithanarrow;whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes.

15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day;do not come nearyourwives.”

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there werethunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people whowerein the camptrembled.

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

18 NowMount Sinaiwascompletely in smoke, because theLorddescended uponit in fire.Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and thewhole mountain quaked greatly.

19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder,Moses spoke, andGod answered him by voice.

20 Then theLordcame down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And theLordcalled Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21 And theLordsaid to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break throughto gaze at theLord, and many of them perish.

22 Also let thepriests who come near theLordconsecrate themselves, lest theLordbreak out against them.”

23 But Moses said to theLord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying,‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

24 Then theLordsaid to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to theLord, lest He break out against them.”

25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

The Ten Commandments

1 And God spokeall these words, saying:

2 “IamtheLordyour God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,out of the house of bondage.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likenessofanythingthatisin heaven above, or thatisin the earth beneath, or thatisin the water under the earth;

5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.For I, theLordyour God,ama jealous God,visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourthgenerationsof those who hate Me,

6 butshowing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of theLordyour God in vain, for theLordwill not holdhimguiltless who takes His name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but theseventh dayisthe Sabbath of theLordyour God.Inityou shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle,nor your stranger whoiswithin your gates.

11 Forinsix days theLordmade the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all thatisin them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore theLordblessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may belong upon the land which theLordyour God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commitadultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house;you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything thatisyour neighbor’s.”

The People Afraid of God’s Presence

18 Nowall the peoplewitnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountainsmoking; and when the people sawit,they trembled and stood afar off.

19 Then they said to Moses,“You speak with us, and we will hear; butlet not God speak with us, lest we die.”

20 And Moses said to the people,“Do not fear;for God has come to test you, andthat His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew nearthe thick darkness where Godwas.

The Law of the Altar

22 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with youfrom heaven.

23 You shall not makeanythingtobewith Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

24 An altar ofearth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings,your sheep and your oxen. In everyplace where I record My name I will come to you, and I willbless you.

25 Andif you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if youuse your tool on it, you have profaned it.

26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that yournakedness may not be exposed on it.’

The Law Concerning Servants

1 “Now thesearethe judgments which you shallset before them:

2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.

3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if hecomesinmarried, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’

6 then his master shall bring him to thejudges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

7 “And if a mansells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

8 If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

9 And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.

10 If he takes anotherwife,he shall not diminish her food, her clothing,and her marriage rights.

11 And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, withoutpayingmoney.

The Law Concerning Violence

12 “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

13 However,if he did not lie in wait, but Goddeliveredhiminto his hand, thenI will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

14 “But if a man acts withpremeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery,you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

15 “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

16 “He who kidnaps a man andsells him, or if he isfound in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

17 “Andhe who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or withhisfist, and he does not die but is confined tohisbed,

19 if he rises again and walks about outsidewith his staff, then he who struckhimshall be acquitted. He shall only payforthe loss of his time, and shall provideforhimto be thoroughly healed.

20 “And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

21 Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for heishisproperty.

22 “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shallpay as the judgesdetermine.

23 But ifanyharm follows, then you shall give life for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.

27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.

Animal Control Laws

28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, thenthe ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the oxshallbeacquitted.

29 But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.

30 If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall payto redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.

31 Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

32 If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their masterthirty shekels of silver, and theox shall be stoned.

33 “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,

34 the owner of the pit shall makeitgood; he shall give money to their owner, but the deadanimalshall be his.

35 “If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the deadoxthey shall also divide.

36 Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.