the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when 14 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 stand about thee from morning unto even? And Moses said 15 unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: when they have 16 a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses' father in law said unto him, The 17 thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt 18 surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I 19 will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God: and thou 20 shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. over thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: and let them 22 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 themselves: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command 23 thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of 24

More- 21

his father in law, and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of 26 fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter 27 they judged themselves. And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

19 I

3

In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness 2 of Sinai. And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they 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 4 children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me 'from among all 'Or, above 6 peoples: 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 7 speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the 8 LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear

9

1 Or, it

2 Or, ram's horn

3 Some ancient have, people.

authorities

when I speak with thee, and may also believe
thee for ever. And Moses told the words of
the people unto the LORD. And the LORD 10
said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and
sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let
them wash their garments, and be ready against 11
the third day: for the third day the LORD will
come down in the sight of all the people upon
mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto 12
the people round about, saying, Take heed to
yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount,
or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth
the mount shall be surely put to death: no 13
hand shall touch him, 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.
And Moses went down from the mount unto 14
the people, and sanctified the people; and they
washed their garments. And he said unto the 15
people, Be ready against the third day: come
not near a woman. And it came to pass on 16
the third day, when it was morning, that there
were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud
upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet
exceeding loud; and all the people that were
in the camp trembled. And Moses brought 17
forth the people out of the camp to meet God;
and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
And mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, 18
because the LORD descended upon it in fire:
and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke
of a furnace, and the whole 'mount quaked
greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet 19
waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and
God answered him by a voice. And the LORD 20
came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of
the mount and the LORD called Moses to

the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down,

charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD 23 break forth upon them. And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai for thou didst charge us, saying, Set 24 bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the LORD said unto him, Go, 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, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and told them.

25

20 I

2

And God spake all these words, saying,

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of 'bondage.

1 Heb. bond

men.

3 Thou shalt have none other gods 'before 2 Or, beside me

me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven
image, nor the likeness of any form that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
5 or that is in the water under the earth: thou
shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve
them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children, upon the third and upon the fourth
6 generation of them that hate me; and shewing
mercy unto thousands, of them that love me 3 Or, a
and keep my commandments.

thousand generations See Deut. vii.

Or, for vanity or

7 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.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. falsehood

8

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

1 Or, were moved

but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD 10 thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six 11 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.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy 12 days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt do no murder.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.

13

14

15

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 16 neighbour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, 17 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 18 the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they 'trembled, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, 19 and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the 20 people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, 21 and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

1

And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou 22 shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. Ye shall not make other gods 23