hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. 18 When Jethro, 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 LORD had brought 2 Israel out of Egypt; then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' 3 wife, after he had sent her back, and her two sons, (of which the name of the one 4 was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: and the name of the other was 2 Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine 5 help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh,) and Jethro, Moses' fatherin-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where 6 he encamped at the mount of God: and he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law 7 Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; 8 and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the 9 way, and how the LORD delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand 10 of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath 11 delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly 12 he was above them. And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. 13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people and 14 the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people 15 stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father-in-law, 16 Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make 17 them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses' father-in-law said 18 unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 6 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; 19 thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, Í will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to 20 God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: and thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, 21 and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of 22 fifties, and rulers of tens: and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the 23 burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had 25 said. And Moses 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 26 tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought 27 unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land. 19 IN the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. For they 2 were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had 3 pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' 1 That is, a stranger there. 3 Heb. peace. 5 Heb. a man and his fellow. 6 Heb. Fading thou will fade. 5 wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me 6 above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their 8 faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. 9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And 10 Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let 11 them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: who13 soever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: there shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the 15 people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. 16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet 17 exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they 18 stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof 19 ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, 20 Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to 21 the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, 2 charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and 22 many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, 23 sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, And the LORD said unto 24 saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, 25 lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them. 20 And God spake all these words, saying, S I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 3 out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under 5 the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the chil6 dren unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 7 8,9 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and 10 do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, 11 nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 1 Or, cornet. 2 Heb. contest. 3 Heb. servants. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. 13 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 17 18 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, 19 and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will 20 hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 22 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness, where God was. And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, 23 Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. Ye shall not make with 24 me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen in all places where I record 25 my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up 26 thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. 21 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve and in the seventh 3 he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in 2by himself, he shall go out 4 by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. 5 And if the servant 3 shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my chil6 dren; I will not go out free: then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever. 4 7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as 8 the menservants do. If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he 9 shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her. And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daugh10 ters. If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of mar11 riage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money. 12,13 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint 14 thee a place whither he shall flee. But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that 15 he may die. And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. 16 17 18 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. And he that 5 curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. And if men strive together, and one 6smite another with a stone, or with his 19 fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: if he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for 7 the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. 20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his 21 hand; he shall be surely 8 punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money. 1 Heb. build them with hewing. 2 Heb. with his body. 3 Heb. saying shall say. 4 Heb. be evil in the eyes of, &c. 6 Or, his neighbour. 7 Heb. his ceasing. 8 Heb. avenged. 22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23, 24 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth 25 for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it 27 perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake. 28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man 30 or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his 31 life whatsoever is laid upon him. Whether he have gored a son, or have gored 32 a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him. If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. 33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, 34 and an ox or an ass fall therein; the owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his. 35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live 36 ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead or also they shall divide. Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own. 22 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood 3 be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for 4 his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double. 5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the 6 best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. 7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be 8 stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, 9 to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. For all man ner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. 10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, 11 to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not 12 make it good. And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the 13 owner thereof. If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. 14 And if a man borrow aught of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner 15 thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his 16 hire. And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall 17 surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. 18 19 20 21 EXODUS XXIII. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. B.C. 1491. He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in 22,23 the land of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their 24 cry; and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. 25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not 26 be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that 27 the sun goeth down: for that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. 28 29 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. Thou shalt not delay to offer 2 the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy 9 liquors: 30 the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the Likewise shalt thou do with eighth day thou shalt give it me. 31 23 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs. Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; 2 neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment : 3 neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring 5 it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will Keep thee far not justify the wicked. 6,7 8 9 10 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth 7the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the & heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11 but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. In like 12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, 13 may be refreshed. And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. 14,15 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I Thou shalt keep commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest 16 out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty :) and the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in thy field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in 17 thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God. 18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither 19 shall the fat of my 10 sacrifice remain until the morning. The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. 20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring 1 Or, judges. 2 Heb. thy fulness. 3 Heb. tear. 4 Or, receive. 5 Heb. answer. |