Exodus 18 — GNB — Biblija.net

⁹ When Jethro heard all this, he was happy

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ and said, “Praise the Lord, who saved you from the king and the people of Egypt! Praise the Lord, who saved his people from slavery! ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, because he did this when the Egyptians treated the Israelites with such contempt.”

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² Then Jethro brought an offering to be burned whole and other sacrifices to be offered to God; and Aaron and all the leaders of Israel went with him to eat the sacred meal as an act of worship.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, “What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?” ¹⁵ Moses answered, “I must do this because the people come to me to learn God's will.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God's commands and laws.” ¹⁷ Then Jethro said, “You are not doing this right.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone. ¹⁹ Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ You should teach them God's commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do. ²¹ But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed.

Laws about Altars

²² Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden.

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out, and all these people can go home with their disputes settled.” ²⁴ Moses took Jethro's advice ²⁵ and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²⁶ They served as judges for the people on a permanent basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses but deciding the smaller disputes themselves. ²⁷ Then Moses said good-bye to Jethro, and Jethro went back home.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ -2 The people of Israel left Rephidim, and on the first day of the third month after they had left Egypt they came to the desert of Sinai. There they set up camp at the foot of Mount Sinai, ³ and Moses went up the mountain to meet with God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and told him to say to the Israelites, Jacob's descendants: ⁴ “You saw what I, the Lord, did to the Egyptians and how I carried you as an eagle carries her young on her wings, and brought you here to me. ⁵ Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people. The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people, ⁶ a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests.” ⁷ So Moses went down and called the leaders of the people together and told them everything that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ Then all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the Lord has said,” and Moses reported this to the Lord.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will believe you from now on.” Moses told the Lord what the people had answered,

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ and the Lord said to him, “Go to the people and tell them to spend today and tomorrow purifying themselves for worship. They must wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down on Mount Sinai, where all the people can see me.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² Mark a boundary around the mountain that the people must not cross, and tell them not to go up the mountain or even get near it. If any of you set foot on it, you are to be put to death;

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ you must either be stoned or shot with arrows, without anyone touching you. This applies to both people and animals; they must be put to death. But when the trumpet is blown, then the people are to go up to the mountain.”

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ Then Moses came down the mountain and told the people to get ready for worship. So they washed their clothes, ¹⁵ and Moses told them, “Be ready by the day after tomorrow and don't have sexual intercourse in the meantime.”

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud appeared on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast was heard. All the people in the camp trembled with fear. ¹⁷ Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord had come down on it in fire. The smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all the people trembled violently. ¹⁹ The sound of the trumpet became louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. Moses went up ²¹ and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to cross the boundary to come and look at me; if they do, many of them will die.

Laws about Altars

²² Even the priests who come near me must purify themselves, or I will punish them.”

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up, because you commanded us to consider the mountain sacred and to mark a boundary around it.” ²⁴ The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron back with you. But the priests and the people must not cross the boundary to come up to me, or I will punish them.” ²⁵ Moses then went down to the people and told them what the Lord had said.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ God spoke, and these were his words: ² “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. ³ “Worship no god but me. ⁴ “Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. ⁵ Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. ⁶ But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws. ⁷ “Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the Lord your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name. ⁸ “Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ You have six days in which to do your work,

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work—neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. ¹¹ In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² “Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ “Do not commit murder.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ “Do not commit adultery. ¹⁵ “Do not steal.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ “Do not accuse anyone falsely. ¹⁷ “Do not desire another man's house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.”

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet blast and saw the lightning and the smoking mountain, they trembled with fear and stood a long way off. ¹⁹ They said to Moses, “If you speak to us, we will listen; but we are afraid that if God speaks to us, we will die.”

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ Moses replied, “Don't be afraid; God has only come to test you and make you keep on obeying him, so that you will not sin.” ²¹ But the people continued to stand a long way off, and only Moses went near the dark cloud where God was.

Laws about Altars

²² The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites: “You have seen how I, the Lord, have spoken to you from heaven.

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ Do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gold to be worshiped in addition to me. ²⁴ Make an altar of earth for me, and on it sacrifice your sheep and your cattle as offerings to be completely burned and as fellowship offerings. In every place that I set aside for you to worship me, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you make an altar of stone for me, do not build it out of cut stones, because when you use a chisel on stones, you make them unfit for my use. ²⁶ Do not build an altar for me with steps leading up to it; if you do, you will expose yourselves as you go up the steps.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ “Give the Israelites the following laws: ² If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay anything. ³ If he was unmarried when he became your slave, he is not to take a wife with him when he leaves; but if he was married when he became your slave, he may take his wife with him. ⁴ If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the woman and her children belong to the master, and the man is to leave by himself. ⁵ But if the slave declares that he loves his master, his wife, and his children and does not want to be set free, ⁶ then his master shall take him to the place of worship. There he is to make him stand against the door or the doorpost and put a hole through his ear. Then he will be his slave for life. ⁷ “If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be set free, as male slaves are. ⁸ If she is sold to someone who intends to make her his wife, but he doesn't like her, then she is to be sold back to her father; her master cannot sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ If a man buys a female slave to give to his son, he is to treat her like a daughter.

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ If a man takes a second wife, he must continue to give his first wife the same amount of food and clothing and the same rights that she had before. ¹¹ If he does not fulfill these duties to her, he must set her free and not receive any payment.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² “Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ But if it was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ But when someone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is to be put to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety. ¹⁵ “Whoever hits his father or his mother is to be put to death.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ “Whoever kidnaps someone, either to sell him or to keep him as a slave, is to be put to death. ¹⁷ “Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ -19 “If there is a fight and someone hits someone else with a stone or with his fist, but does not kill him, he is not to be punished. If the one who was hit has to stay in bed, but later is able to get up and walk outside with the help of a cane, the one who hit him is to pay for his lost time and take care of him until he gets well.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ “If a slave owner takes a stick and beats his slave, whether male or female, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner is to be punished. ²¹ But if the slave does not die for a day or two, the master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough.

Laws about Altars

²² “If some men are fighting and hurt a pregnant woman so that she loses her child, but she is not injured in any other way, the one who hurt her is to be fined whatever amount the woman's husband demands, subject to the approval of the judges.

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ But if the woman herself is injured, the punishment shall be 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 someone hits his male or female slave in the eye and puts it out, he is to free the slave as payment for the eye. ²⁷ If he knocks out a tooth, he is to free the slave as payment for the tooth.

The Responsibility of Owners

²⁸ “If a bull gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but its owner is not to be punished. ²⁹ But if the bull had been in the habit of attacking people and its owner had been warned, but did not keep it penned up—then if it gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its owner is to be put to death also. ³⁰ However, if the owner is allowed to pay a fine to save his life, he must pay the full amount required.

The Lampstand

³¹ If the bull kills a boy or a girl, the same rule applies. ³² If the bull kills a male or female slave, its owner shall pay the owner of the slave thirty pieces of silver, and the bull shall be stoned to death. ³³ “If someone takes the cover off a pit or if he digs one and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it, ³⁴ he must pay for the animal. He is to pay the money to the owner and may keep the dead animal. ³⁵ If someone's bull kills someone else's bull, the two of them shall sell the live bull and divide the money; they shall also divide up the meat from the dead animal. ³⁶ But if it was known that the bull had been in the habit of attacking and its owner did not keep it penned up, he must make good the loss by giving the other man a live bull, but he may keep the dead animal.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ “If someone steals a cow or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay five cows for one cow and four sheep for one sheep. ² -4 He must pay for what he stole. If he owns nothing, he shall be sold as a slave to pay for what he has stolen. If the stolen animal, whether a cow, a donkey, or a sheep, is found alive in his possession, he shall pay two for one. “If a thief is caught breaking into a house at night and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if it happens during the day, he is guilty of murder. ⁵ “If someone lets his animals graze in a field or a vineyard and they stray away and eat up the crops growing in someone else's field, he must make good the loss with the crops from his own fields or vineyards. ⁶ “If someone starts a fire in his own field and it spreads through the weeds to someone else's field and burns up grain that is growing or that has been cut and stacked, the one who started the fire is to pay for the damage. ⁷ “If anyone agrees to keep someone else's money or other valuables for him and they are stolen from his house, the thief, if found, shall repay double. ⁸ But if the thief is not found, the one who was keeping the valuables is to be brought to the place of worship and there he must take an oath that he has not stolen the other one's property.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ “In every case of a dispute about property, whether it involves cattle, donkeys, sheep, clothing, or any other lost object, the two people claiming the property shall be taken to the place of worship. The one whom God declares to be guilty shall pay double to the other one.

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ “If anyone agrees to keep someone else's donkey, cow, sheep, or other animal for him, and the animal dies or is injured or is carried off in a raid, and if there was no witness, ¹¹ the man must go to the place of worship and take an oath that he has not stolen the other man's animal. If the animal was not stolen, the owner shall accept the loss, and the other man need not repay him;

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² but if the animal was stolen, the man must repay the owner.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ If it was killed by wild animals, the man is to bring the remains as evidence; he need not pay for what has been killed by wild animals.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ “If anyone borrows an animal from someone else and it is injured or dies when its owner is not present, he must pay for it. ¹⁵ But if that happens when the owner is present, he need not repay. If it is a rented animal, the loss is covered by the rental price.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her. ¹⁷ But if her father refuses to let him marry her, he must pay the father a sum of money equal to the bride price for a virgin.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ “Put to death any woman who practices magic. ¹⁹ “Put to death any man who has sexual relations with an animal.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ “Condemn to death anyone who offers sacrifices to any god except to me, the Lord. ²¹ “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt.

Laws about Altars

²² Do not mistreat any widow or orphan.

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ If you do, I, the Lord, will answer them when they cry out to me for help, ²⁴ and I will become angry and kill you in war. Your wives will become widows, and your children will be fatherless. ²⁵ “If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest. ²⁶ If you take someone's cloak as a pledge that he will pay you, you must give it back to him before the sun sets, ²⁷ because it is the only covering he has to keep him warm. What else can he sleep in? When he cries out to me for help, I will answer him because I am merciful.

The Responsibility of Owners

²⁸ “Do not speak evil of God, and do not curse a leader of your people. ²⁹ “Give me the offerings from your grain, your wine, and your olive oil when they are due. “Give me your first-born sons. ³⁰ Give me the first-born of your cattle and your sheep. Let the first-born male stay with its mother for seven days, and on the eighth day offer it to me.

The Lampstand

³¹ “You are my people, so you must not eat the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals; instead, give it to the dogs.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ “Do not spread false rumors, and do not help a guilty person by giving false testimony. ² Do not follow the majority when they do wrong or when they give testimony that perverts justice. ³ Do not show partiality to a poor person at his trial. ⁴ “If you happen to see your enemy's cow or donkey running loose, take it back to him. ⁵ If his donkey has fallen under its load, help him get the donkey to its feet again; don't just walk off. ⁶ “Do not deny justice to a poor person when he appears in court. ⁷ Do not make false accusations, and do not put an innocent person to death, for I will condemn anyone who does such an evil thing. ⁸ Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe makes people blind to what is right and ruins the cause of those who are innocent.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ “Do not mistreat a foreigner; you know how it feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ “For six years plant your land and gather in what it produces. ¹¹ But in the seventh year let it rest, and do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there, and the wild animals can have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² “Work six days a week, but do no work on the seventh day, so that your slaves and the foreigners who work for you and even your animals can rest.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ “Listen to everything that I, the Lord, have said to you. Do not pray to other gods; do not even mention their names.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ “Celebrate three festivals a year to honor me. ¹⁵ In the month of Abib, the month in which you left Egypt, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the way that I commanded you. Do not eat any bread made with yeast during the seven days of this festival. Never come to worship me without bringing an offering.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ “Celebrate the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest your crops. “Celebrate the Festival of Shelters in the autumn, when you gather the fruit from your vineyards and orchards. ¹⁷ Every year at these three festivals all your men must come to worship me, the Lord your God.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ “Do not offer bread made with yeast when you sacrifice an animal to me. The fat of animals sacrificed to me during these festivals is not to be left until the following morning. ¹⁹ “Each year bring to the house of the Lord your God the first grain that you harvest. “Do not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother's milk.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ “I will send an angel ahead of you to protect you as you travel and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. ²¹ Pay attention to him and obey him. Do not rebel against him, for I have sent him, and he will not pardon such rebellion.

Laws about Altars

²² But if you obey him and do everything I command, I will fight against all your enemies.

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ My angel will go ahead of you and take you into the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will destroy them. ²⁴ Do not bow down to their gods or worship them, and do not adopt their religious practices. Destroy their gods and break down their sacred stone pillars. ²⁵ If you worship me, the Lord your God, I will bless you with food and water and take away all your sicknesses. ²⁶ In your land no woman will have a miscarriage or be without children. I will give you long lives. ²⁷ “I will make the people who oppose you afraid of me; I will bring confusion among the people against whom you fight, and I will make all your enemies turn and run from you.

The Responsibility of Owners

²⁸ I will throw your enemies into panic; I will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites as you advance. ²⁹ I will not drive them out within a year's time; if I did, the land would become deserted, and the wild animals would be too many for you. ³⁰ Instead, I will drive them out little by little, until there are enough of you to take possession of the land.

The Lampstand

³¹ I will make the borders of your land extend from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Mediterranean Sea and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give you power over the inhabitants of the land, and you will drive them out as you advance. ³² Do not make any agreement with them or with their gods. ³³ Do not let those people live in your country; if you do, they will make you sin against me. If you worship their gods, it will be a fatal trap for you.”

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel; and while you are still some distance away, bow down in worship. ² You alone, and none of the others, are to come near me. The people are not even to come up the mountain.” ³ Moses went and told the people all the Lord's commands and all the ordinances, and all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the Lord has said.” ⁴ Moses wrote down all the Lord's commands. Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent young men, and they burned sacrifices to the Lord and sacrificed some cattle as fellowship offerings. ⁶ Moses took half of the blood of the animals and put it in bowls; and the other half he threw against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the book of the Covenant, in which the Lord's commands were written, and read it aloud to the people. They said, “We will obey the Lord and do everything that he has commanded.” ⁸ Then Moses took the blood in the bowls and threw it on the people. He said, “This is the blood that seals the covenant which the Lord made with you when he gave all these commands.”

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel went up the mountain

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was what looked like a pavement of sapphire, as blue as the sky. ¹¹ God did not harm these leading men of Israel; they saw God, and then they ate and drank together.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, and while you are here, I will give you two stone tablets which contain all the laws that I have written for the instruction of the people.”

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ Moses and his helper Joshua got ready, and Moses began to go up the holy mountain.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ Moses said to the leaders, “Wait here in the camp for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you; and so whoever has a dispute to settle can go to them.” ¹⁵ Moses went up Mount Sinai, and a cloud covered it.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ -17 The dazzling light of the Lord's presence came down on the mountain. To the Israelites the light looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from the cloud.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ Moses went on up the mountain into the cloud. There he stayed for forty days and nights.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to make an offering to me. Receive whatever offerings anyone wishes to give. ³ These offerings are to be: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; cloth made of goats' hair; ⁵ rams' skin dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood; ⁶ oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense; ⁷ carnelians and other jewels to be set in the ephod of the High Priest and in his breastpiece. ⁸ The people must make a sacred Tent for me, so that I may live among them.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ Make it and all its furnishings according to the plan that I will show you.

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ “Make a Box out of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. ¹¹ Cover it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold border all around it.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² Make four carrying rings of gold for it and attach them to its four legs, with two rings on each side.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ Make carrying poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ and put them through the rings on each side of the Box. ¹⁵ The poles are to be left in the rings and must not be taken out.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ Then put in the Box the two stone tablets that I will give you, on which the commandments are written. ¹⁷ “Make a lid of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ Make two winged creatures of hammered gold, ¹⁹ one for each end of the lid. Make them so that they form one piece with the lid.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ The winged creatures are to face each other across the lid, and their outspread wings are to cover it. ²¹ Put the two stone tablets inside the Box and put the lid on top of it.

Laws about Altars

²² I will meet you there, and from above the lid between the two winged creatures I will give you all my laws for the people of Israel.

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ “Make a table out of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. ²⁴ Cover it with pure gold and put a gold border around it. ²⁵ Make a rim 3 inches wide around it and a gold border around the rim. ²⁶ Make four carrying rings of gold for it and put them at the four corners, where the legs are. ²⁷ The rings to hold the poles for carrying the table are to be placed near the rim.

The Responsibility of Owners

²⁸ Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold. ²⁹ Make plates, cups, jars, and bowls to be used for the wine offerings. All of these are to be made of pure gold. ³⁰ The table is to be placed in front of the Covenant Box, and on the table there is always to be the sacred bread offered to me.

The Lampstand

³¹ “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Make its base and its shaft of hammered gold; its decorative flowers, including buds and petals, are to form one piece with it. ³² Six branches shall extend from its sides, three from each side. ³³ Each of the six branches is to have three decorative flowers shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals. ³⁴ The shaft of the lampstand is to have four decorative flowers shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals. ³⁵ There is to be one bud below each of the three pairs of branches. ³⁶ The buds, the branches, and the lampstand are to be a single piece of pure hammered gold. ³⁷ Make seven lamps for the lampstand and set them up so that they shine toward the front. ³⁸ Make its tongs and trays of pure gold. ³⁹ Use seventy-five pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and all this equipment. ⁴⁰ Take care to make them according to the plan that I showed you on the mountain.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ “Make the interior of the sacred Tent, the Tent of my presence, out of ten pieces of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool. Embroider them with figures of winged creatures. ² Make each piece the same size, 14 yards long and 2 yards wide. ³ Sew five of them together in one set, and do the same with the other five. ⁴ Make loops of blue cloth on the edge of the outside piece in each set. ⁵ Put fifty loops on the first piece of the first set and fifty loops matching them on the last piece of the second set. ⁶ Make fifty gold hooks with which to join the two sets into one piece. ⁷ “Make a cover for the Tent out of eleven pieces of cloth made of goats' hair. ⁸ Make them all the same size, 15 yards long and 2 yards wide.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ Sew five of them together in one set, and the other six in another set. Fold the sixth piece double over the front of the Tent.

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ Put fifty loops on the edge of the last piece of one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other set. ¹¹ Make fifty bronze hooks and put them in the loops to join the two sets so as to form one cover.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² Hang the extra half piece over the back of the Tent.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ The extra half yard on each side of the length is to hang over the sides of the Tent to cover it.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ “Make two more coverings, one of rams' skin dyed red and the other of fine leather, to serve as the outer cover. ¹⁵ “Make upright frames for the Tent out of acacia wood.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ Each frame is to be 15 feet long and 27 inches wide, ¹⁷ with two matching projections, so that the frames can be joined together. All the frames are to have these projections.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ Make twenty frames for the south side ¹⁹ and forty silver bases to go under them, two bases under each frame to hold its two projections.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp

²⁰ Make twenty frames for the north side of the Tent ²¹ and forty silver bases, two under each frame.

Laws about Altars

²² For the back of the Tent on the west, make six frames,

The Table for the Bread Offered to God

²³ and two frames for the corners. ²⁴ These corner frames are to be joined at the bottom and connected all the way to the top. The two frames that form the two corners are to be made in this way. ²⁵ So there will be eight frames with their sixteen silver bases, two under each frame. ²⁶ “Make fifteen crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the Tent, ²⁷ five for the frames on the other side, and five for the frames on the west end, at the back.

The Responsibility of Owners

²⁸ The middle crossbar, set halfway up the frames, is to extend from one end of the Tent to the other. ²⁹ Cover the frames with gold and fit them with gold rings to hold the crossbars, which are also to be covered with gold. ³⁰ Set up the Tent according to the plan that I showed you on the mountain.

The Lampstand

³¹ “Make a curtain of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool. Embroider it with figures of winged creatures. ³² Hang it on four posts of acacia wood covered with gold, fitted with hooks, and set in four silver bases. ³³ Place the curtain under the row of hooks in the roof of the Tent, and put behind the curtain the Covenant Box containing the two stone tablets. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. ³⁴ Put the lid on the Covenant Box. ³⁵ Outside the Most Holy Place put the table against the north side of the Tent and the lampstand against the south side. ³⁶ “For the entrance of the Tent make a curtain of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and decorated with embroidery. ³⁷ For this curtain make five posts of acacia wood covered with gold and fitted with gold hooks; make five bronze bases for these posts.

Jethro Visits Moses

The Israelites at Mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

The Treatment of Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

Laws about Repayment

Justice and Fairness

The Covenant Is Sealed

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

The Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

The Altar

¹ “Make an altar out of acacia wood. It is to be square, 7˝ feet long and 7˝ feet wide, and it is to be 4˝ feet high. ² Make projections at the top of the four corners. They are to form one piece with the altar, and the whole is to be covered with bronze. ³ Make pans for the greasy ashes, and make shovels, bowls, hooks, and fire pans. All this equipment is to be made of bronze. ⁴ Make a bronze grating and put four bronze carrying rings on its corners. ⁵ Put the grating under the rim of the altar, so that it reaches halfway up the altar. ⁶ Make carrying poles of acacia wood, cover them with bronze, ⁷ and put them in the rings on each side of the altar when it is carried. ⁸ Make the altar out of boards and leave it hollow, according to the plan that I showed you on the mountain.

The Enclosure for the Tent of the \nd Lord\nd*'s Presence

⁹ “For the Tent of my presence make an enclosure out of fine linen curtains. On the south side the curtains are to be 50 yards long,

The Seventh Year and the Seventh Day

The Covenant Box

¹⁰ supported by twenty bronze posts in twenty bronze bases, with hooks and rods made of silver. ¹¹ Do the same on the north side of the enclosure.

Laws about Violent Acts

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹² On the west side there are to be curtains 25 yards long, with ten posts and ten bases.

The Appointment of Judges

(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)

¹³ On the east side, where the entrance is, the enclosure is also to be 25 yards wide.

The Three Great Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴ -15 On each side of the entrance there are to be 7˝ yards of curtains, with three posts and three bases.

Moral and Religious Laws

¹⁶ For the entrance itself there is to be a curtain 10 yards long made of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and decorated with embroidery. It is to be supported by four posts in four bases. ¹⁷ All the posts around the enclosure are to be connected with silver rods, and their hooks are to be made of silver and their bases of bronze.

The People's Fear

(Deuteronomy 5.22-33)

¹⁸ The enclosure is to be 50 yards long, 25 yards wide, and 2˝ yards high. The curtains are to be made of fine linen and the bases of bronze. ¹⁹ All the equipment that is used in the Tent and all the pegs for the Tent and for the enclosure are to be made of bronze.

Promises and Instructions

Taking Care of the Lamp