Amplified Bible (AMP)

The Passover Lamb

1 The Lordsaid to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,

2 “Thismonth shall be the beginning of months to you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

3 Tell all the congregation of Israel, ‘On the tenth [day] of this month they are to take a lamboryoung goat for themselves, according to [the size of] the household of which he is the father, a lamboryoung goat for each household.

4 ~‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb [to be consumed], let him and his next door neighbor take one according to the number of people [in the households]; according to what each man can eat, you are to divide the lamb.

5 ~‘Your lamboryoung goat shall be [perfect] without blemishorbodily defect, a male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

6 ~‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter itat twilight.

7 ~‘Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [above the door] of the houses in which they eat it.

8 ~‘They shall eat the meat that same night, roasted in fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

9 ~‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted in fire–both its head and its legs, along with its inner parts.

10 ~‘You shall let none of the meat remain until the morning, and anything that remains left over until morning, you shall burn completely in the fire.

11 ~‘Now you are to eat it in this manner: [be prepared for a journey] with yourloins girded [that is, with the outer garment tucked into the band], your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; you shall eat it quickly–it is the Lord’sPassover.

12 ~‘For I [the Lord] will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal; against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments [exhibiting their worthlessness]. I am the Lord.

13 ~‘The blood shall be a sign for you on [the doorposts of] the houses where you live; when I see the blood I shall pass over you, and no affliction shall happen to you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

14 ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as an ordinance forever.

15 ~‘[In the celebration of the Passover in future years,] seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove theleaven from your houses [because it represents the spread of sin]; for whoever eats leavened bread on the first day through the seventh day, that person shall be cut offandexcluded from [the atonement made for] Israel.

16 ~‘On the first day [of the feast] you shall have a holyandsolemn assembly, and on the seventh day there shall be another holyandsolemn assembly; no work of any kind shall be done on those days, except for the preparation of food which every person must eat–only that may be done by you.

17 ~‘You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your hosts [grouped according to tribal armies] out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an ordinance forever.

18 ~‘In the firstmonth,on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, [and continue] until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

19 ~‘Seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses; whoever eats what is leavened shall be cut offandexcluded from [the atonement made for] the congregation of Israel, whether a stranger or native-born.

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

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take a lamb for yourselves according to [the size of] your families and slaughter the Passoverlamb.

22 You shall take a bunch ofhyssop, dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch some of the blood to the lintel [above the doorway] and to the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

A Memorial of Redemption

23 For the Lordwill pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel [above the entry way] and on the two doorposts, the Lordwill pass over the door and will not allowthe destroyer to come into your houses to slay you.

24 You shall observe this event [concerning Passover] as an ordinance for you and for your children forever.

25 When you enter the land which the Lordwill give you, as He has promised, you shall keepandobserve this service.

26 When your children say to you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’

27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’sPassover, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed [their heads] low and worshiped [God].

28 Then the Israelites went and did [as they had been told]: just as the Lordhad commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

29 Now it happened at midnight that the Lordstruck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in thedungeon, and all the firstborn of the cattle.

30 Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry [of heartache and sorrow] in Egypt, for there was no house where there was not someone dead.

31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Get up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites; and go, serve the Lord, as you said.

32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and [ask your God to] bless me also.”

Exodus of Israel

33 The Egyptians [anxiously] urged the people [to leave], to send them out of the land quickly, for they said, “We will all be dead.”

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

35 Now the Israelites had acted in accordance with the word of Moses; and they had asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing.

36 The Lordgave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they asked. And so they plundered the Egyptians [of those things].

37 Now the Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides [the women and] the children.

38 A mixed multitude [of non-Israelites from foreign nations] also went with them, along with both flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock.

39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought from Egypt; it was not leavened, since they were driven [quickly] from Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any food for themselves.

40 Now the period of time the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

41 At the end of the four hundred and thirty years, to that very day, all the hosts of the Lord[gathered into tribal armies] left the land of Egypt.

Ordinance of the Passover

42 It is a night of watching to be observed for the Lordfor having brought them out of the land of Egypt; this [same] night is for the Lord, to be observedandcelebrated by all the Israelites throughout their generations.

43 The Lordsaid to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: noforeigner is to eat it;

44 but every man’s slave who is bought with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat it.

45 No stranger (temporary resident, foreigner) or hired servant shall eat it.

46 It is to be eaten inside one house; you shall not take any of the meat outside the house, nor shall you break any of its bones.

47 The entire congregation of Israel shall keepandcelebrate it.

48 If a stranger living temporarily among you wishes to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, all his males must be circumcised, and then he may participateandcelebrate it like one that is born in the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it.

49 The same law shall apply to the native-born and to the stranger who lives temporarily among you.”

50 Then all the Israelites did so; they did just as the Lordhad commanded Moses and Aaron.

51 And on that very same day the Lordbrought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their hosts (tribal armies).

Consecration of the Firstborn

1 The Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Sanctify to Me [that is, set apart for My purpose] every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal; it is Mine.”

3 Moses said to the people, “Remember [solemnly observe and commemorate] this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondageandslavery; for by a strongandpowerful hand the Lordbrought you out of this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.

4 On this day in the month Abib, you are about to go onward.

5 And it shall be when the Lordbrings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land [of abundance]flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keepandobserve this rite (service) in this month.

6 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.

7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, nor shall there be leaven within the borders of your territory.

8 You shall explain this to your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lorddid for me when I came out of Egypt.’

9 It shall serve as a sign to you on your hand (arm), and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the instruction (law) of the Lordmay be in your mouth; for with a strongandpowerful hand the Lordbrought you out of Egypt.

10 Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at this time from year to year.

11 “Now it shall be when the Lordbrings you into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you,

12 you shall set apartanddedicate to the Lordall that first opens the womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock shall be the Lord’s.

13 Every firstborn of adonkey you shall redeem by [substituting] a lamb [as a sacrifice for it], but if you do not [wish to] redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn among your sons you shall redeem [that is, “buy back” from God with a suitable sacrifice].

14 And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘With a strongandpowerful hand the Lordbrought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondageandslavery.

15 ~‘For it happened, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that the Lordstruck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animal. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lordall the males, the first [to be born] of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

16 So it shall serve as a signanda reminder on your [left] hand (arm) and asfrontlets between your eyes, for by a strongandpowerful hand the Lordbrought us out of Egypt.”

God Leads the People

17 So it happened, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war [that is, that there will be war], and return to Egypt.”

18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward theRed Sea; the sons of Israel went up in battle array (orderly ranks, marching formation) out of the land of Egypt.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had solemnly ordered (placed under an oath) the Israelites, saying, “God will assuredly take care of you, and you must carry my bones away from here with you.”

20 They journeyed from Succoth [in Goshen] and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

21 The [presence of the] Lordwas going before them by day in a pillar (column) of cloud to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night.

22 He did not withdraw the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from going before the people.

Pharaoh in Pursuit

1 Now the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea.

3 For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’

4 I will harden (make stubborn, defiant) Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will be glorifiedandhonored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt]andacknowledge that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this that we have done? We have let Israel go from serving us!”

6 So Pharaoh harnessedhorses tohis war-chariots [for battle] and took hisarmy with him;

7 and he took six hundred chosen war-chariots, and all the other war-chariots of Egypt withfighting charioteers over all of them.

8 The Lordhardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, as they were leaving confidentlyanddefiantly.

9 The Egyptians chased them with all the horses and war-chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them as they camped by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were very frightened; so the Israelites cried out to the Lord.

11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this that you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?

12 Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians [as slaves] than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided

13 Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lordwhich He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again.

14 The Lordwill fight for you while you [only need to] keep silentandremain calm.”

15 The Lordsaid to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to move forward [toward the sea].

16 As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go through the middle of the sea on dry land.

17 As for Me, hear this: I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in [the sea] after them; and I will be glorifiedandhonored through Pharaoh and all his army, and his war-chariots and his horsemen.

18 And the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt]andacknowledge that I am the Lord, when I am glorifiedandhonored through Pharaoh, through his war-chariots and his charioteers.”

19 Theangel of God, who had been going in front of the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. The pillar of the cloud moved from in front and stood behind them.

20 So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. It was a cloud along with darkness [even by day to the Egyptians], but it gave light by night [to the Israelites]; so one [army] did not come near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lordswept the sea back by a strong east wind all that night and turned the seabed into dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 The Israelites went into the middle of the sea on dry land, and the waters formed a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

23 Then the Egyptians pursued them into the middle of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his war-chariots and his charioteers.

24 So it happened at the early morning watch [before dawn], that the Lordlooked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and put them in a state of confusion.

25 He made their chariot wheels hard to turn, and the chariots difficult to drive; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the Lordis fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, on their war-chariots and their charioteers.”

27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal flow at sunrise; and the Egyptians retreated right into it [being met by the returning water]; so the Lordoverthrew the Egyptiansandtossed them into the midst of the sea.

28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the charioteers, and all the army of Pharaoh that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters formed a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 The Lordsaved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians [lying] dead on theseashore.

31 When Israel saw the great power which the Lordhad used against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord[with reverence and awe-filled respect], and they believed in the Lord, and in His servant Moses.

The Song of Moses and Israel

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang thissong to the Lord, singing,

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;

The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.

2 “The Lordis my strength and my song,

And He has become my salvation;

This is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

3 “The Lordis a warrior;

The Lordis His name.

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

His chosen captains are drowned in theRed Sea.

5 “The deep [water] covers them;

[Clad in armor] they sank into the depths like a stone.

6 “Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power;

Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

7 “In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrowandannihilate those [adversaries] who rise [in rebellion] against You;

You send out Your fury, and it consumes them like chaff.

8 “With the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up,

The flowing waters stood up like a mound;

The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;

My desire shall be satisfied against them;

I will draw my sword, my hand shall dispossess themanddrive them out.’

10 “You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;

[Clad in armor] they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like You, majestic in holiness,

Awesome in splendor, working wonders?

12 “You stretched out Your right hand,

Thesea swallowed them.

13 “You in Your lovingkindnessandgoodness have led the people whom You have redeemed;

In Your strength You have guided them with care to Your holy habitation.

14 “The peoples have heard [about You], they tremble;

Anguishandfear has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.

15 “Then the [tribal] chiefs of Edom were dismayedandhorrified;

The [mighty] leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;

All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away [in despair]–

16 Terror and dread fall on them;

Because of the greatness of Your arm they are as still as a stone;

Until Your people pass byand[into Canaan], O Lord,

Until the people pass by whom You have purchased.

17 “You will bring them [into the land of promise] and plant them on the mountain (Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem) of Your inheritance,

The place, O Lord, You have made for Your dwelling [among them],

The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

18 “The Lordshall reign to eternity and beyond.”

19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his war-chariots and his charioteers into the sea, and the Lordbrought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron [and Moses], took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her with timbrels and dancing.

21 Miriam answered them,

“Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriouslyandis highly exalted;

The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.”

The Lord Provides Water

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went into the Wilderness of Shur; they went [a distance of] three days (about thirty-three miles) in the wilderness and found no water.

23 Then they came to Marah, but they could not drink its waters because they werebitter; therefore it was named Marah (bitter).

24 The people [grew discontented and] grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we going to drink?”

25 Then he cried to the Lord[for help], and the Lordshowed him a tree, [a branch of] which he threw into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There the Lordmade a statute and an ordinance for them, and thereHe tested them,

26 saying, “If you will diligently listenandpay attention to the voice of the Lordyour God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep [foremost in your thoughts and actively obey] all His preceptsandstatutes, then I will not put on you any of the diseases which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am theLordwho heals you.”

27 Then the children of Israel came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

The Lord Provides Manna

1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of Israel came to the Wilderness ofSin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they left the land of Egypt.

2 The whole congregation of the Israelites [grew discontented and] murmuredandrebelled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,

3 and the Israelites said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lordin the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger.”

4 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Behold, I will cause bread to rain from heaven for you; the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them [to determine] whether or not they will walk [obediently] in My instruction (law).

5 And it shall be that on the sixth day, they shall prepare to bring in twice as much as they gather daily [so that they will not need to gather on the seventh day].”

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lordhas brought you out of the land of Egypt,

7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, for He hears your murmurings against the Lord. What are we, that you murmurandrebel against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

8 Moses said, “This will happenwhen the Lordgives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning [enough] bread to be fully satisfied, because the Lordhas heard your murmurings against Him; for what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of Israel, ‘Approach the Lord, because He has heard your murmurings.’”

10 So it happened that as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the gloryandbrilliance of the Lordappeared in the cloud!

11 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

12 “I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lordyour God.’”

13 So in the evening the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a blanket of dew around the camp.

14 When the layer of dew evaporated, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine, flake-like thing, as fine as frost on the ground.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lordhas given you to eat.

16 This is what the Lordhas commanded: ‘Let every man gather as much of it as he needs. Take anomer for each person, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’”

17 The Israelites did so, and some gathered much [of it] and some [only a] little.

18 When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered a large amount had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered according to his need (family size).

19 Moses said, “Let none of it be left [overnight] until [the next] morning.”

20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left a supply of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foulandrotten; and Moses was angry with them.

21 So they gathered it every morning, each as much as he needed, because when the sun was hot it melted.

The Sabbath Observed

22 Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each person; and all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses.

23 He said to them, “This is what the Lordhas said: ‘Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord’; bake and boil what you will bake and boil [today], and all that remains left over put aside for yourselves to keep until morning.”

24 They put it aside until morning, as Moses told them, and it did not become foul nor was it wormy.

25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; 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 [in the field].”

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

28 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “How long do you [people] refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions (laws)?

29 See, the Lordhas given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you the bread for two days on the sixth day. Let every man stay in his place; no man is to leave his place on the seventh day.”

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The house of Israel called the bread manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like flat pastry (wafers) made with honey.

32 Then Moses said, “This is the word which the Lordcommands, ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout 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 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lordto be kept throughout your generations.”

34 As the Lordcommanded Moses, so Aaron [eventually] placed it in the presence of theTestimony, to be kept.

35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they reached an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

36 (Now anomer is the tenth of anephah.)

Water in the Rock

1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel moved on from the Wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water so we may [have something to] drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you tempt the Lordandtry His patience?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

4 So Moses cried out to the Lordfor help, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock atHoreb; there you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may [have something to] drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 He named the place [where this miracle occurred] Massah (test) andMeribah (contention) because of the quarreling of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the [patience of the] Lord, saying, “Is the Lordamong us, or not?”

Amalek Fought

8 ThenAmalek [and his people] came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

9 So Moses said toJoshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek [and his people]. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

10 So Joshua did as Moses said, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, andHur went up to the hilltop.

11 Now when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his hand [due to fatigue], Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses’ hands were heavyandhe grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set.

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

14 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Write this in the book as a memorial andrecite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek [and his people] from under heaven.”

15 And Moses built an altar and named itThe LordIs My Banner;

16 saying, “The Lordhas sworn [an oath]; the Lordwill have war against [the people of] Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law

1 Now Jethro (Reuel), the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, and that the Lordhad brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away [from Egypt],

3 along with her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom (stranger), for Moses said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”

4 The other [son] was named Eliezer (my God is help), forMoses said,“The God of my father was my help, and He rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

5 Then Jethro, his father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to [join] Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mountain of God [that is, Mt. Sinai in Horeb].

6 He sent a message to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons [who are] with her.”

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down [in respect] and kissed him. They asked each other about their well-being and went into the tent.

8 Moses told his father-in-law about all that the Lordhad done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and about all the hardship that had happened during the journey, and how the Lordhad rescued them.

9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lordhad done to Israel, in that He had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who has rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that the Lordisgreater than all gods; indeed, it was proven when they acted insolently toward Israel [and the Lordshowed Himself infinitely superior to all their gods].”

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and [other] sacrifices [to offer] to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 Now the next day Moses sat to judge [the disputes] the people [had with one another], and the people stood around Moses from dawn to dusk.

14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone [as a judge] with all the people standing around you from dawn to dusk?”

15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to ask [about the will] of God.

16 When they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.

18 You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you [to bear]; you cannot do it alone.

19 Now listen tome;I will advise you, and may God be with you [to confirm my advice]. You shall represent the people before God. You shall bring their disputesandcauses to Him.

20 You shall teach them the decrees and laws. You shall show them the way they are to live and the work they are to do.

21 Furthermore, you shall select from all the people competent men who [reverently] fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; you shall place these over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

22 They shall judge the people at all times; have them bring every major dispute to you, but let them judge every minor dispute themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bearthe burdenwith you.

23 If you will do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure [the responsibility], and all these people will also go [back] to their tents in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said.

25 Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens [from the highest to the lowest judicial levels].

26 And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but every minor dispute they judgedanddecided themselves.

27 Then Mosessaid goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went back to his own land (Midian).

Moses on Sinai

1 In the third month after the children of Israel had left the land of Egypt, the very same day, they came into the Wilderness of Sinai.

2 When they moved out from Rephidim, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai and they camped there; Israel camped at the base of the mountain [of Sinai].

3 Moses went up to God [on the mountain], and the Lordcalled to him from the mountain, saying, “Say this to the house of Jacob and tell 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.

5 ~‘Now therefore, if you will in fact obey My voice and keep My covenant (agreement), then you shall be My own special possessionandtreasure from among all peoples [of the world], for all the earth is Mine;

6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation [set apart for My purpose].’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

7 So Moses called for the elders of the people, and told them all these words which the Lordcommanded him.

8 All the people answered together and said, “We will do everything that the Lordhas spoken.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

9 The Lordsaid to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may believeandtrust in you forever.” Then Moses repeated the words of the people to the Lord.

10 The Lordalso said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow [that is, prepare them for My sacred purpose], and have them wash their clothes

11 and be ready by the third day, because on the third day the Lordwill come down on Mount Sinai [in the cloud] in the sight of all the people.

12 You shall set barriers for the people all around [the mountain], saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch its border; whoever touches the mountain must be put to death.

13 ~‘No hand shall touch him [that is, no one shall try to save the guilty party], but the offender must be stoned or shot through [with arrows]; whether man or animal [that touches the mountain], he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”

14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified them [for God’s sacred purpose], and they washed their clothes.

15 He said to the people, “Be prepared for the third day; do notbe intimate with a woman.”

16 So it happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and flashes of lightning, and a thick cloud was on the mountain, and a very loud blast was sounded on a ram’s horn, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

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

The Lord Visits Sinai

18 Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lorddescended upon it in fire; its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.

19 And it happened, as the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with [a voice of] thunder.

20 The Lordcame down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lordcalled Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up.

21 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through [the barriers around the mountain] to the Lordto see [Me], and many of them perish [as a result].

22 Also have the priests who approach the Lordconsecrate (sanctify, set apart) themselves [for My sacred purpose], or else the Lordwill break forth [in judgment] against them [and destroy them].”

23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, because You warned us, saying, ‘Set barriers around the mountain and consecrate it.’”

24 Then the Lordsaid to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through [the barriers] to come up to the Lord, or He will break forth [in judgment] against them [and destroy them].”

25 So Moses went down to the people and told them [again about God’s warning].

The Ten Commandments

1 Then God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lordyour God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].

5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lordyour God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

6 but showing graciousnessandsteadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lordyour God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lordwill not hold guiltlessnorleave unpunished the one whotakes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

8 “Remember the Sabbath (seventh) day to keep it holy (set apart, dedicated to God).

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

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath [a day of rest dedicated] to the Lordyour God; on that day you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock or the temporary resident (foreigner) who stays within your [city] gates.

11 For in six days the Lordmade the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day. That is why the Lordblessed the Sabbath day and made it holy [that is, set it apart for His purposes].

12 “Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the Lordyour God gives you.

13 “You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide).

14 “You shall not commitadultery.

15 “You shall not steal [secretly, openly, fraudulently, or through carelessness].

16 “You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).

17 “You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

18 Now all the people witnessed the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the smoking mountain; and as they looked, the people were afraid, and they trembled [and moved backward] and stood at a [safe] distance.

19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us or we will die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him [that is, a profound reverence for Him] will remain with you, so that you do not sin.”

21 So the people stood at a [safe] distance, but Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

22 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.

23 ~‘You shall not makeother gods[to worship] besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make [these lifeless idols] for yourselves.

24 ~‘You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause My Name to be recordedandremembered [through revelation of My divine nature] I will come to you and bless you.

25 ~‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you use a chisel on it, you willprofane it.

26 ~‘Nor shall you go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness will not beexposed on it.’

Ordinances for the People

1 “Now these are the ordinances (laws) which you shall set before the Israelites:

2 “If you purchase a Hebrew servant [because of his debt or poverty], he shall serve six years, and in the seventh [year] he shall leave as a free man, paying nothing.

3 If he came [to you] alone, he shall leave alone; if he came married, then his wife shall leave with him.

4 If his master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall leave [your service] alone.

5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not leave as a free man,’

6 then his master shall bring him to God [that is, to the judges who act in God’s name], then he shall bring him to the door or doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl (strong needle); and he shall serve him for life.

7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go free [after six years] as male servants do.

8 If she does not please her master who has chosen her for himself [as a wife], he shall let her be redeemed [by her family]. He does not have the authority to sell her to a foreign people, because he has been unfair to her.

9 If her master chooses her [as a wife] for his son, he shall act toward her as if she were legally his daughter.

10 If her master marries another wife, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her privilege as a wife.

11 If he does not do these three things for her, then shall she leave free, withoutpayment ofmoney.

Personal Injuries

12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies must be put to death.

13 However,if he did not lie in wait [for him], but God allowed him to fall into his hand, then I will establish for you aplace to which he may escape [for protection until duly tried].

14 But if a man acts intentionally against another and kills him by [design through] treachery, you are to take him from My altar [to which he may have fled for protection], so that he may be put to death.

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

16 “Whoever kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or is found with him in his possession, must be put to death.

17 “Whoevercurses his father or his motherortreats them contemptuously must be put to death.

18 “If men quarrel and one strikes another with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,

19 if he gets up and walks around leaning on his cane, then the one who struck him shall be left [physically] unpunished; he must only pay for his loss of time [at work], and the costs [of treatment and recuperation] until he is thoroughly healed.

20 “If a man strikes his male or his female servant with a staff and the servant dies at his hand, he must be punished.

21 If, however, the servant survives for a day or two, the offender shall not be punished, for the [injured] servant is his own property.

22 “If men fight with each other and injure a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely [and the baby lives], yet there is nofurtherinjury, the one who hurt her must be punished with a fine [paid] to the woman’s husband, as much as the judges decide.

23 But if there isany furtherinjury, then you shall require [as a penalty] life for life,

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

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26 “If a man hits the eye of his male servant or female servant and it is destroyed, he must let the servant go free because of [the loss of] the eye.

27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or female servant, he must let the servant go free because of [the loss of] the tooth.

28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be cleared [of responsibility].

29 But if the ox has tried to gore on a previous occasion, and its owner has been warned, but has not kept it confined and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner shall be put to death as well.

30 If a ransom is demanded of him [in return for his life], then he shall give whatever is demanded for the redemption of his life.

31 If the ox has gored another’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.

32 If the ox gores a male or a female servant, the owner shall give to the servant’s master thirty shekels of silver [the purchase price for a slave], and the ox shall be stoned.

33 “If a man leaves a pit open, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to the animal’s owner, but the dead [animal] shall be his.

35 “If one man’s ox injures another’s so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the proceeds equally; they shall also divide the dead ox [between them].

36 Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, and its owner has not kept it confined, he must make restitution of ox for ox, and the dead [animal] shall be his.