Bible in 90 Days

¹⁹ When the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord caused the waters of the sea to come back over them, but the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.

The Song of Miriam

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and went out with all the women behind her with tambourines and dancing. ²¹ Miriam sang to them,

God Provides Water for the People

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Reed^[a] Sea and they went to the desert of Shur. They traveled into the desert for three days and did not find water. ²³ When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter. (That is why it’s called^[b] Marah.)^{[c] 24} Then the people complained against Moses: “What are we to drink?” ²⁵ Moses^[d] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he threw into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord^[e] presented to them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them. ²⁶ He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what he sees to be right, listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I won’t inflict on you all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, because I am the Lord your healer.” ²⁷ Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees, and they camped there by the water.

Manna and Quail Provided

16 Later, they left Elim, and the whole congregation of the Israelis came to the desert^[f] of Sin, which lay between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. ² The whole congregation of the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. ³ The Israelis told them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt when we sat by the cooking pots,^[g] when we ate bread until we were filled—because you brought us to this desert to kill this entire congregation with hunger.”

⁴ The Lord told Moses, “Listen very carefully! I’ll cause food to rain down for you from heaven, and the people are to go out and gather each day’s portion on that day. In this way I’ll test them to demonstrate whether or not they’ll live according to my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be double what they gather on other days.”^[h]

⁶ So Moses and Aaron addressed the entire congregation of the Israelis: “This evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷ and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints against him.^[i] After all, who are we that you complain against us?” ⁸ Moses also said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning to satisfy you, the Lord will hear your complaints directed^[j] against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren’t against us, but rather against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses instructed Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelis, ‘Come near into the Lord’s presence, because he has heard your complaints.’”

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to all the congregation of the Israelis, they turned toward the desert, and there the glory of the Lord was seen in the cloud. ¹¹ The Lord told Moses, ¹² “I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis. Tell them, ‘At twilight you are to eat meat and in the morning you are to be filled with bread, so you may know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³ Later that evening quail came up and covered the camp, and then in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴ When the layer of dew evaporated,^[k] on the surface of the desert a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost, appeared on the ground. ¹⁵ When the Israelis saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?”,^[l] because they did not know what it was.

Moses told them, “It’s the food that the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘You are to gather from it what each person is to eat,^[m] about one omer^[n] per person according to the number of your people, and one person is to gather for everyone in his tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelis did this, some gathering much, some little. ¹⁸ When they measured it with a vessel the capacity of which was one omer,^[o] the one who gathered much did not have an excess, while the one who gathered little did not lack. They gathered exactly what each needed to eat.^[p]

¹⁹ Then Moses told them, “No one is to leave any of it until morning.” ²⁰ But they did not listen to Moses—some people left part of it until morning, and it produced maggots and smelled bad, so Moses got angry at them. ²¹ Every morning they gathered it, according to what each needed to eat; and when the sun became hot, it melted.

²² On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about two omers^[q] per person. Then all the leaders of the congregation came and reported to Moses, ²³ and he told them, “This is what the Lord said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and put aside whatever remains to be kept for yourselves until morning.’” ²⁴ So they put it away until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not smell bad, and there were no maggots in it. ²⁵ Moses said, “Eat it today, since today is a Sabbath to the Lord, and today you won’t find it in the field. ²⁶ For six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there won’t be any.”^[r]

²⁷ Nevertheless, that seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. ²⁸ Then the Lord asked Moses, “How long will you people^[s] refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions?^{[t] 29} You see that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, and so on the sixth day he gives you food for two days. Let each person stay where he is; let no one leave his place on the seventh day.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The Israelis named it^[u] “manna”.^[v] It was white like coriander seed, and tasted like a wafer made with honey. ³² Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Set aside one omer^[w] of it for future generations, so that they may see the food with which I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

³³ Then Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar, fill it with about one omer^[x] of manna, and place it in the Lord’s presence, to be preserved throughout future generations.” ³⁴ So Aaron placed it before the Testimony^[y] to be kept, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁵ The Israelis ate manna for 40 years until they came to a land where they could settle.^[z] They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. ³⁶ Now one omer^[aa] is a tenth of an ephah.^[ab]

God Provides Water from a Rock^(A)

17 The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert^[ac] of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command^[ad] of the Lord. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

² The people quarreled with Moses: “Give us water to drink.”

Moses told them, “Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”

³ But the people were thirsty there for water, so they^[ae] complained against Moses: “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

⁴ So Moses cried out to the Lord: “What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they’ll stone me.”

⁵ Then the Lord told Moses, “Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel.

⁷ He named the place Massah^[af] and Meribah,^[ag] because the Israelis quarreled and tested the Lord by saying: “Is the Lord really among us or not?”

The Amalekites Fight the Israelis

⁸ After this, the Amalekites came and fought with the Israelis at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses told Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out to fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I’ll stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ Whenever Moses raised his hand, the Israelis prevailed, but when his hand remained at his side,^[ah] then the Amalekites prevailed. ¹² When Moses’ hands became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down. ¹³ Joshua defeated^[ai] Amalek and his army using swords.

¹⁴ Then the Lord told Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to^[aj] Joshua: ‘I’ll certainly wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.’” ¹⁵ Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord is My Banner.” ¹⁶ “Because,” he said, “a fist has been raised in defiance^[ak] against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will wage war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro Visits Moses

18 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ² Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken back Moses’ wife Zipporah after she had been sent away, ³ along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, because he would say, “I was an alien^[al] in a foreign land,” ⁴ while the name of the other was Eliezer,^[am] because he would say,^[an] “My father’s God helped me and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

⁵ Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, together with Moses’ two sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camped at the mountain of God.^{[ao] 6} He told Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you along with your wife and her two sons.” ⁷ When Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, he bowed low and kissed him, and they greeted one another. Then they went into the tent.

⁸ Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on Israel’s behalf, all the hardships that they had encountered along the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. ⁹ Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from the oppression^[ap] of the Egyptians. ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,^[aq] because of what happened to^[ar] the Egyptians when^[as] they acted arrogantly against Israel.” ¹² Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to dine with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

Jethro Advises Moses to Appoint Judges

¹³ The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge,^[at] with all the people standing around you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ Moses told his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.^{[au] 16} When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a person and his neighbor, and make known the statutes of God and his instructions.”

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law told him, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You will certainly wear yourself out, both you and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself. ¹⁹ Now listen to me. I’ll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God. ²⁰ You are to teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they’re to go and the things they’re to do. ²¹ You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds,^[av] fifties,^[aw] and tens.^{[ax] 22} They are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you, but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they’ll bear it with you. ²³ If you do this,^[ay] and God so commands you, you will be able to stand the strain,^[az] and all these people will also go to their homes in peace.”

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over thousands, hundreds,^[ba] fifties,^[bb] and tens.^{[bc] 26} They judged the people at all times; the difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every minor matter they judged. ²⁷ Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land.

The Israelis Reach Mount Sinai

19 On the third New Moon after the Israelis went out of the land of Egypt, on that very day,^[bd] they came to the desert of Sinai. ² They had set out from Rephidim and arrived at the desert of Sinai where they camped in the desert. Israel camped there in front of the mountain. ³ Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain: “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and declare to the sons of Israel, ⁴ ‘You saw what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ And now if you carefully obey me and keep my covenant, you are to be my special possession out of all the nations,^[be] because the whole earth belongs to me, ⁶ but you are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to me.’ These are the words you are to declare to the Israelis.”

⁷ When Moses came, he summoned the elders of the people and told them everything that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ All the people answered together: “We’ll do everything that the Lord has said!”

Then Moses reported all the words of the people back to the Lord. ⁹ The Lord told Moses, “Look, I’m coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may listen when I speak with you and always believe you.” Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

Preparation for the Covenant

¹⁰ The Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes, ¹¹ and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² You are to set boundaries for the people all around: ‘Be very careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch the side of it. Anyone who touches the mountain is certainly to be put to death. ¹³ No hand is to touch that person,^[bf] but he is certainly to be stoned or shot;^[bg] whether animal or person, he is not to live.’ They are to approach^[bh] the mountain only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast.”

¹⁴ When Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ He told the people, “Be ready for the third day; don’t go near a woman.”^[bi]

The Lord Appears on Mount Sinai

¹⁶ When morning came on the third day, there was thunder and lightning, with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and the very loud sound of a ram’s horn. All the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Moses brought the people from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the base of the mountain. ¹⁸ Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord had come down in fire on it. Smoke went up from it like smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. ¹⁹ As the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer with thunder.^{[bj] 20} When the Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain, he^[bk] summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹ The Lord told Moses, “Go down and warn the people so they don’t break through to look at the Lord, and many of them perish.^{[bl] 22} Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves. Otherwise, the Lord will attack them.”

²³ Moses told the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai because you warned us: ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’”^[bm]

²⁴ The Lord told him, “Go down, and come back up with Aaron, but the priests and the people must not break through to go up to the Lord. Otherwise, he will attack them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

The Ten Commandments^(B)

20 Then God spoke all these words:

The People are Terrified in God’s Presence

¹⁸ All the people experienced the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the smoking mountain. And as the people experienced it, they trembled and stood at a distance. ¹⁹ They told Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but don’t let God speak with us, or we may die.

²⁰ Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you may fear him in order that you don’t sin.” ²¹ Then the people stood at a distance, and Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

Instruction about Idols and Altars

²² The Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelis, ‘You have seen for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. ²³ You are not to make gods of silver alongside me, nor are you to make for yourselves gods of gold. ²⁴ You are to make an altar of earth for me, and you are to sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep, and your cattle. Everywhere I cause my name to be remembered, I’ll come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you make an altar of stone for me, you must not build it of cut stones, because if you strike it with your chisel, you will profane it. ²⁶ You are not to ascend to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’”

Laws Concerning Servants

21 “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them.

² “When you acquire a Hebrew servant, he is to serve for six years, and in the seventh he is to go out a free man without paying anything. ³ If he came in by himself,^[bx] he is to go out by himself. If he was married, his wife is to go out with him. ⁴ If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and children belong to her master, and he is to go out by himself. ⁵ But if the servant, in fact, says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won’t go out a free man,’ ⁶ then his master is to bring him before the judges^[by] and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.

⁷ “When a man sells his daughter as a servant, she won’t go out as the male servants do.^{[bz] 8} If she’s displeasing to^[ca] her master who selected her for himself,^[cb] he must let her be redeemed. He does not have the right to sell her to foreign people, because he has dealt unfairly^[cc] with her. ⁹ If he has selected her for his son,^[cd] he is to treat her according to the ordinance for daughters. ¹⁰ If he takes another woman for himself, he may not withhold from the first^[ce] her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. ¹¹ If he does not do these three things for her, she may go out without paying anything at all.”^[cf]

Laws Concerning Personal Injury and Homicide

¹² “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies is certainly to be put to death. ¹³ If he didn’t lie in wait, but God let him fall into his reach,^[cg] then I’ll appoint for you a place to which he may flee. ¹⁴ If a man acts deliberately against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you are to take him to die even if he’s at^[ch] my altar.

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

¹⁶ “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether he has sold him or whether the victim^[ci] is still in his possession, is certainly to be put to death.

¹⁷ “Whoever curses his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.

¹⁸ “If people quarrel and one strikes the other with a rock or his fist, and he does not die but ends up^[cj] in bed, ¹⁹ and the injured person^[ck] then gets up and walks around outside with the help of his staff,^[cl] the one who struck him is not liable, except that he is to compensate him for his loss of time^[cm] and take care of his complete recovery.

²⁰ “If a man strikes his male or female servant with a stick and he or she dies as a direct result,^[cn] the master must be punished.^{[co] 21} But if the servant^[cp] survives a day or two, the master^[cq] is not to be punished because the servant^[cr] is his property.

²² “If two men are fighting and they strike a pregnant woman and her children are born prematurely,^[cs] but there is no harm, he is certainly to be fined as the husband of the woman demands of him, and he will pay as the court decides.^{[ct] 23} If there is harm, then you are to require^[cu] life for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

²⁶ “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant and destroys it, he is to release him as a free man in exchange for his eye. ²⁷ If he knocks out the tooth of his male^[cv] or female servant,^[cw] he is to release him as a free man in exchange for his tooth.

²⁸ “If an ox gores a man or woman so that they die, the ox is certainly to be stoned and its flesh may not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is free from liability. ²⁹ But if the ox has gored previously, and its owner has been warned about it but didn’t restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, the ox is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. ³⁰ If a fine is imposed on him, he may pay all that was imposed on him as a ransom for his life. ³¹ This same ordinance applies^[cx] if it gores a son or daughter.

³² “If the ox gores a male or female servant, the owner is to give 30 shekels^[cy] of silver to the servant’s^[cz] master, and the ox is to be stoned. ³³ If a man opens a pit or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey falls into it,^{[da] 34} the owner of the pit is to make restitution. He is to pay money to its owner, and the dead animal will become his.

³⁵ “If a man’s ox strikes his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they are to sell the live ox and divide the money. They also are to divide the dead animal. ³⁶ But if it was known that the ox had gored previously, and its owner didn’t restrain it, he is certainly to repay ox for ox, and the dead ox is to become his.”

Laws Concerning Theft of Personal Property

22 ^[db]“If a man steals an ox or sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he is to repay five oxen^[dc] for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

² “If a thief is found while breaking into a house,^[dd] and is struck down and dies, it is not a capital crime^[de] in that case,^{[df] 3} but if the sun has risen on him, then it is a capital crime^[dg] in that case.^[dh] A thief^[di] is certainly to make restitution, but if he has nothing, he is to be sold^[dj] for his theft. ⁴ If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox, a donkey or a sheep, he is to repay double.

⁵ “When a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed over or releases his livestock so that they graze in another man’s field, he is to make restitution from the best of his field or vineyard.^[dk]

⁶ “When a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes and consumes stacked grain or standing grain or the field, the one who started the fire certainly is to make restitution.

⁷ “When a man gives his neighbor money or goods for safekeeping and it’s stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if found, is to repay double. ⁸ If the thief is not found, the owner of the house is to appear before the judges^[dl] to see^[dm] whether or not the thief took^[dn] his neighbor’s property.

⁹ “In every ownership dispute^[do] involving an ox, donkey, sheep, garment, or anything that is lost where a person says, ‘This is mine,’^[dp] the case between the two of them is to come before the judges,^[dq] and the one that the judges^[dr] declare guilty is to repay double to his neighbor.

¹⁰ “When a man gives a donkey, ox, sheep, or any animal to his neighbor for safe keeping, and it dies or is injured or is driven away when no one is looking, ¹¹ the two of them are to take an oath in the Lord’s presence that the accused^[ds] has not taken^[dt] his neighbor’s property. Its owner is to accept this, and the neighbor^[du] is not to make restitution. ¹² But if it was actually stolen from him, the neighbor^[dv] is to make restitution to its owner. ¹³ If it was torn to pieces, let the neighbor^[dw] bring the remains^[dx] as evidence, and he is not to make restitution for what was torn apart.

¹⁴ “When a man borrows^[dy] an animal from his neighbor, and it’s injured or dies while its owner was not with it, he is certainly to make restitution. ¹⁵ If its owner was with it, he is not to make restitution. If it was hired, its fee covers the loss.”^[dz]

Various Other Laws

¹⁶ “When a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and has sexual relations with her, he must pay her bride price, and she is to become his wife. ¹⁷ If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he is to pay an amount^[ea] equal to the bride price for virgins.

¹⁸ “You are not to allow a sorceress to live.

¹⁹ “Whoever has sexual relations with an animal is certainly to be put to death.

²⁰ “Anyone who sacrifices to a god, except the Lord alone, is to be utterly destroyed.

²¹ “You are not to wrong or oppress an alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

²² “You are not to mistreat any widow or orphan. ²³ If you do mistreat them, they’ll certainly cry out to me, and I’ll immediately hear their cry. ²⁴ And I’ll be angry and will kill you with swords,^[eb] and your wives will become widows and your children orphans.

²⁵ “If you loan money to my people, to the poor among you, don’t be like a creditor to them and don’t impose interest on them. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s coat as collateral, you are to return it to him by sunset, ²⁷ for it’s his only covering; it’s his outer garment,^[ec] for what else can he sleep in? And when he cries out to me, I’ll hear him, for I am gracious.

²⁸ “You are not to blaspheme God or curse a ruler of your people.

²⁹ “You are not to hold back the fullness of your harvest^[ed] and the outflow of your wine presses.^[ee] You are to give to me the firstborn of your sons. ³⁰ You are to do the same with your oxen and your sheep. They are to be with their mother for seven days and then on the eighth day you are to give them to me.

³¹ “You are to be people set apart^[ef] for me. You are not to eat flesh torn apart in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs.”

Laws about Truthful Testimony

23 “You are not to spread a false report, nor are you to join forces^[eg] with the wicked to be a malicious witness. ² You are not to follow the majority^[eh] in doing wrong, and you are not to testify in a lawsuit so as to follow the majority and pervert justice. ³ You are not to show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit.

⁴ “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you are to certainly return it to him. ⁵ If you see your enemy’s donkey lying helpless under its load, you must not abandon it; rather, you are certainly to return it to him.^[ei]

⁶ “You are not to pervert justice for the poor among you^[ej] in their lawsuits.^{[ek] 7} Stay far away from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent or the righteous, because I won’t acquit the guilty. ⁸ You are not to take a bribe because a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and distorts the words of the righteous. ⁹ You are not to oppress the resident alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”

Instructions for Sabbaths and Sabbatical Years

¹⁰ “You are to sow your land and gather its crops for six years, ¹¹ but you are to let it rest the seventh year, leaving it unplanted. The poor of your people may eat from it,^[el] and the wild animals may eat what they leave. You are to do the same with your vineyards and olive groves. ¹² You are to do your work for six days, but on the seventh day you are to refrain from work so that your ox and donkey^[em] may rest, and so the son of your maidservant and the alien may be refreshed.

¹³ “Be careful about everything I’ve told you, and don’t mention the name of other gods. Don’t let them be heard in your mouth!”

The Three Major Festivals

¹⁴ “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival for me. ¹⁵ You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month Abib, because in it you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty handed. ¹⁶ You are to observe^[en] the Festival of Harvest,^[eo] celebrating^[ep] the first fruits of your work in planting the field, and the Festival of Tabernacles^[eq] at the end of the year, when you gather the fruit of your work from the field. ¹⁷ Three times a year all your males are to appear in the presence of the Lord God.”

Various Laws

¹⁸ “You are not to offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, and you are not to let the fat portion of my sacrifice remain overnight until morning.

¹⁹ “You are to bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“You are not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

God Promises Help as the Israelis Enter Canaan

²⁰ “Look, I’m sending an angel in front of you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I’ve prepared. ²¹ Be careful! Be sure to obey him. Don’t rebel against him, because he won’t forgive your transgression, since my Name is in him. ²² Indeed, if you carefully obey him and do everything that I say, then I’ll be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries, ²³ because my angel will go ahead of you and will bring you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I’ll annihilate them. ²⁴ You are not to bow down to their gods or serve them. You are not to follow their practices,^[er] but you are to overthrow them completely and smash their sacred stones^[es] to pieces. ²⁵ You are to serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your food^[et] and water, and I’ll remove sickness from you. ²⁶ No woman will miscarry or be barren in your land, and I’ll make every day of your life complete.^[eu]

²⁷ “I’ll go ahead of you and terrorize all the people to whom you are coming. I’ll confuse your enemies and make them turn their backs on you and run away.^{[ev] 28} I’ll send hornets ahead of you and they’ll drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. ²⁹ I won’t drive them out before you in a single year, so that the land does not become desolate and so that wild animals do not overrun you. ³⁰ I’ll drive them out ahead of you little by little until you increase in numbers^[ew] and possess the land.

³¹ “I’ll set your borders from the Reed^[ex] Sea to the Sea of the Philistines,^[ey] and from the desert to the Euphrates^[ez] River, bringing^[fa] the inhabitants of the land under your control,^[fb] and you are to drive them out ahead of you. ³² You are not to make a covenant with them or with their gods. ³³ They are not to live in your land. Otherwise they will cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, it will become a snare for you.”

The Covenant is Sealed with Blood

24 The Lord^[fc] told Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel, and worship^[fd] at a distance. ² Only Moses is to approach the Lord, but the others^[fe] are not to approach; the people are not to come up with him.”

³ Then Moses came and reported all the words of the Lord and all the statutes to the people, and they all^[ff] answered with one voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has decreed.”

⁴ So Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He got up early in the morning and built an altar with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. ⁵ He sent young Israeli men to offer up burnt offerings and sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. ⁶ Moses took half the blood and put it in bowls, while he sprinkled the other half^[fg] on the altar. ⁷ He took the Book of the Covenant and read it to^[fh] the people. They said, “We will put into practice and obey everything that the Lord has decreed.”

⁸ Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord made with you based on all these words.”

⁹ Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel went up ¹⁰ and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky. ¹¹ Because^[fi] God^[fj] did not punish^[fk] the Israeli leaders, they looked at God, yet lived^[fl] to eat and drink.

Moses Receives the Law on the Mountain

¹² Then the Lord told Moses, “Go up to me on the mountain and stay^[fm] there. I’ll give you stone tablets with the instruction and law that I’ve written to teach the people.”^[fn]

¹³ So Moses got up, along with Joshua his servant, and went up on the mountain of God. ¹⁴ He told the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Look, Aaron and Hur are with you, and whoever has a dispute, let him come to them.”

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it. ¹⁶ The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. Then on the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud. ¹⁷ To the Israelis^[fo] the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ When Moses went up on the mountain, he went into the center of the cloud and was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.

An Offering for the Sanctuary

25 The Lord told Moses, ² “Tell the Israelis to take an offering for me, and you are to accept my offering from every person whose heart moves him to give.^{[fp] 3} This is the offering that you are to accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet material;^[fq] fine linen and goat hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed^[fr] red, dolphin^[fs] skins, and acacia wood; ⁶ oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for aromatic incense; ⁷ and onyx stones, stones for setting on the ephod and the breast piece.^{[ft] 8} Let them make a sanctuary for me so I may live among them. ⁹ This is how you are to make it: according to all that I’m showing you, according to the pattern for the tent and the pattern for all its furnishings.”

The Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “They are to make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits^[fu] long, one and a half cubits^[fv] wide, and one and a half cubits^[fw] high. ¹¹ You are to overlay it with pure gold—you are to overlay it inside and outside—and you are to make a gold molding around it. ¹² You are to cast four rings for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on one side of it and two rings on its other side. ¹³ You are to make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ You are to put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark with which to carry it.^{[fx] 15} The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark and are not to be removed from it. ¹⁶ You are to put the Testimony^[fy] that I will give you into the ark.

¹⁷ “You are to make a Mercy Seat^[fz] of pure gold, two and a half cubits^[ga] long and one and a half cubits^[gb] wide. ¹⁸ You are to make two cherubim^[gc] of gold; you are to make them of hammered work at the two ends of the Mercy Seat. ¹⁹ Place one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. You are to make the cherubim at the two ends of the Mercy Seat, and of one piece with it. ²⁰ The cherubim are to spread their wings upward, covering the Mercy Seat with their wings and facing each other. The faces of the cherubim is to be turned toward the Mercy Seat. ²¹ You are to put the Mercy Seat on top of the ark, and put the Testimony that I’ll give you into the ark. ²² I’ll meet with you there, and I’ll tell you all my commandments^[gd] for the Israelis from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the Ark of the Testimony.”

The Table of Showbread

²³ “You are to make a table of acacia wood, two cubits^[ge] long, a cubit^[gf] wide, and one and a half cubits^[gg] high. ²⁴ You are to overlay it with pure gold, and put a gold molding around it. ²⁵ You are to make a rim one handbreadth in width^[gh] around it, and you are to make a gold molding around the rim. ²⁶ You are to make four gold rings for it, and put the rings on the four corners where its four feet are. ²⁷ The rings are to be close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table. ²⁸ You are to make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold so the table can be carried with them. ²⁹ You are to make its plates, dishes, jars, and bowls from which libations will be poured, and you are to make them of pure gold. ³⁰ You are to put the bread of the Presence on the table before me continuously.”

The Lamp Stand^(C)

³¹ “You are to make a lamp stand of pure gold: the lamp stand and its base and stem are to be of hammered work, and its cups, calyxes,^[gi] and flowers are to be of one piece with it. ³² Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lamp stand from one side of it and three branches of the lamp stand from its other side. ³³ Three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers are to be on one branch and three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers are to be on the other branch, and so for the six branches extending from the lamp stand.

³⁴ “On the lamp stand itself there are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms with their calyxes and flowers. ³⁵ A calyx^[gj] is to be under the two branches that extend out of the stem;^[gk] a calyx is to be under the next pair of branches^[gl] that extend out of the stem;^[gm] and a calyx is to be under the last pair of branches^[gn] that extend out of the stem,^[go] and so for the six^[gp] branches extending from the lamp stand. ³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches are to be of one piece with it; all of it is to be made of one piece of hammered work of pure gold.

³⁷ “You are to make seven lamps for it, and its lamps are to be mounted so as to give light in front of it. ³⁸ Its tongs and trays are to be of pure gold. ³⁹ The lamp stand^[gq]—together with all its furnishings—is to be made from a talent^[gr] of pure gold. ⁴⁰ Now see that you make them according to the pattern for them which you are being shown on the mountain.”

The Tent

26 “You are to make the tent with ten curtains of fine woven^[gs] linen and with blue, purple, and scarlet material. You are to make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. ² The length of each curtain is to be 28 cubits,^[gt] the width of each curtain four cubits,^[gu] and all the curtains are to have the same measurements.^[gv]

³ “Five of the curtains are to be joined together, and the other five curtains are to be joined together. ⁴ You are to make loops of blue material along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you are to make loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ⁵ You are to make 50 loops in the one curtain, and you are to make 50 loops along the edge of the curtain that is in the second set, with the loops opposite each other. ⁶ Then you are to make 50 gold clasps, and join the curtains to each other with the clasps so that the tent will be one piece.

⁷ “You are to make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tent. You are to make eleven curtains. ⁸ The length of each curtain is to be 30 cubits,^[gw] and the width of each curtain two cubits;^[gx] the measurements of each of the eleven curtains is to be the same.^{[gy] 9} You are to join five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and you are to double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. ¹⁰ You are to make 50 loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and 50 loops along the edge of the curtain of the other set. ¹¹ You are to make 50 bronze clasps, put the clasps into the loops, and join the tent together so that it will be one piece. ¹² As for the excess that remains of the curtains of the tent—the half curtain that remains—is to hang over the back of the tent. ¹³ The half cubit^[gz] that remain on either end of the length of the curtains of the tent is to hang over each side of the tent to cover it.

¹⁴ “You are to make a cover for the tent of ram skins dyed red^[ha] and a covering of dolphin^[hb] skins above that.

¹⁵ “You are to make upright boards of acacia wood for the tent. ¹⁶ Each board is to be ten cubits^[hc] long and one and a half cubits^[hd] wide. ¹⁷ Each board is to have two pegs joined to one another, and you are to do this for all the boards of the tent. ¹⁸ You are to make the boards for the tent: 20 boards for the south side.^{[he] 19} And you are to make 40 silver sockets^[hf] under the 20 boards: two sockets under the one board for its two pegs and two sockets under the next^[hg] board for its two pegs.

²⁰ “For the second side of the tent to the north you are to make^[hh] 20 boards ²¹ and 40 silver sockets for them, two sockets under one board and two sockets under the next board. ²² On the west you are to make six boards for the rear of the tent, ²³ and you are to make two boards for the rear corners of the tent. ²⁴ They are to be interlocked together^[hi] at the bottom and connected^[hj] on top by one ring. Do this for the two of them, and they are to be the two corners. ²⁵ There is to be eight boards with their sixteen silver sockets, two sockets under one board and two sockets under the next board.

²⁶ “You are to make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the tent, ²⁷ five bars for the boards on the second side of the tent, and five bars for the boards on the back side of the tent to the west. ²⁸ The center bar in the middle of the boards is to pass through from end to end. ²⁹ You are to overlay the boards with gold, and you are to make gold rings for them as holders for the bars, and you are to overlay the bars with gold. ³⁰ You are to erect the tent according to the plan for it that was shown you on the mountain.

³¹ “You are to make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. You are to make it with cherubim skillfully worked into it. ³² You are to hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold, and are set on four sockets of silver. ³³ You are to hang the curtain from^[hk] the clasps and bring the Ark of the Testimony there inside the curtain. The curtain is to separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

³⁴ “You are to put the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. ³⁵ You are to put the table outside the curtain. You are to put the table on the north side with the lamp stand opposite the table on the south side of the tent. ³⁶ For the doorway of the tent you are to make a screen of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and with fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer. ³⁷ You are to make five pillars of acacia for the screens and overlay them with gold. Their hooks are to be of gold, and you are to cast five bronze sockets for them.”

The Altar

27 “You are to make the altar of acacia wood. It is to be five cubits^[hl] long and five cubits^[hm] wide; the altar is to be a square, and it is to be three cubits^[hn] high. ² You are to make horns^[ho] on its four corners. Its corners are to be of one piece with it, and you are to overlay it with bronze. ³ You are to make pans for removing its ashes, shovels, bowls, forks, and fire-pans for it, and you are to make all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ You are to make a lattice, a netting of bronze for it, and you are to make four bronze rings on the netting at its four corners. ⁵ You are to put it under the ledge of the altar, so that the netting extends halfway up the altar. ⁶ You are to make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you are to overlay them with bronze. ⁷ The poles for it are to be put through the rings, so the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it’s carried. ⁸ You are to make it hollow out of boards—just as it was shown you on the mountain, that’s how they are to make it.”

The Court of the Tent

⁹ “You are to make the court of the tent. On the south^[hp] side there is to be hangings of fine woven linen for the court, 100 cubits^[hq] long on one side. ¹⁰ It is to have 20 pillars, with 20 bronze sockets, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands^[hr] are to be made of silver. ¹¹ Likewise for the length of the north side there are to be hangings 100 cubits^[hs] long, and it is to have 20 pillars with 20 bronze sockets, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands^[ht] are to be made of silver.

¹² “The width of the court on the west side is to have hangings 50 cubits^[hu] long with ten pillars and ten sockets. ¹³ The width of the court on the east side^[hv] is to be 50 cubits.^{[hw] 14} The hangings for the one section^[hx] are to be fifteen cubits long,^[hy] with their three pillars and three sockets.

¹⁵ “For the second section there are to be hangings of fifteen cubits,^[hz] with their three pillars and three sockets. ¹⁶ There is to be a screen of 20 cubits^[ia] of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer, for the gate of the court, and it is to have four pillars and four sockets. ¹⁷ All the pillars around the court are to be banded with silver. Their hooks are to be made of silver and their sockets made of bronze. ¹⁸ The length of the court is to be 100 cubits,^[ib] the width 50 cubits,^[ic] and the height five cubits,^[id] with the hangings^[ie] of fine woven linen, and the sockets of bronze. ¹⁹ All the utensils of the tent for its service, all its pegs, and all the pegs for the court are to be made of bronze.”

The Oil for the Lamp

²⁰ “And you are to command the Israelis to bring you pure olive oil, extracted by hand,^[if] for the light in order to keep the lamp burning^[ig] continuously. ²¹ In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to maintain^[ih] the lamp stand^[ii] from evening until morning in the Lord’s presence. It is to be a perpetual ordinance from generation to generation among the Israelis.”

The Garments for the Priests

28 “You are to bring your brother Aaron, along with his sons, from among the Israelis so they can serve as priests for me: that is, Aaron and his sons^[ij] Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ² You are to make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for dignity and beauty. ³ You are to speak to all who are skilled,^[ik] whom I’ve endowed^[il] with talent,^[im] that they should make Aaron’s garments for consecrating him to serve me as priest. ⁴ These are the garments that they are to make: a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons to serve me as priests. ⁵ They are to use^[in] gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, as well as fine linen.”

The Ephod

⁶ “They are to make the ephod from gold, along with blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, all of it^[io] skillfully worked. ⁷ It is to have two shoulder-pieces attached to its two edges so it can be joined together. ⁸ The skillfully woven band that is on it is to be made like it, that is, of one piece with it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. ⁹ You are to take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the sons of Israel on them, ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone, and the six remaining names on the other stone. Engrave them^[ip] according to their order of birth. ¹¹ With work like a jeweler engraves on a signet,^[iq] you are to inscribe the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel, and you are to mount them in settings of gold filigree. ¹² You are to put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance representing the sons of Israel, and Aaron is to carry their names into the Lord’s presence on his two shoulders as a memorial. ¹³ You are to make settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ and you are to make two chains of pure gold twisted like cords, and then fasten the twisted chains to the filigree settings.”

The Breast Piece

¹⁵ “You are to make a breast piece to be worn by the high priest when he makes legal decisions.^[ir] It is to be skillfully worked, made like the work of the ephod from gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and from fine woven linen. ¹⁶ It is to be square when folded double, one hand span^[is] long and one hand span wide.^{[it] 17} You are to mount on it a setting for four rows of stones. The first row is to contain carnelian,^[iu] topaz, and emerald; ¹⁸ the second row ruby,^[iv] sapphire, and crystal; ¹⁹ the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst; ²⁰ the fourth row beryl, onyx, and jasper, and they are to be set in gold filigree. ²¹ The stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones^[iw] corresponding to their names. They are to be engraved like a signet,^[ix] each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

²² “You are to make chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, for the breast piece. ²³ You are to make two gold rings for the breast piece, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. ²⁴ You are to put the two gold cords on the two gold rings at the edges of the breast piece, ²⁵ and you are to attach the other two ends of the two cords to the filigree settings and attach them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod in front.

²⁶ “You are to make two gold rings and attach them to the two edges of the breast piece, on the side of it that is toward the inner side of the ephod. ²⁷ You are to make two gold rings and attach them in front on the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod close to the place where it’s joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. ²⁸ They are to fasten the rings on the breast piece to the rings on the ephod with a blue cord so it will rest^[iy] on the skillfully woven band of the ephod and so the breast piece won’t come loose from the ephod.

²⁹ “Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons on his heart on the breast piece to be worn by the high priest when he makes legal decisions,^[iz] that is, whenever he goes into the Holy Place in order to remember them continuously in the Lord’s presence. ³⁰ You are to put the Urim and Thummim^[ja] into the breast piece of judgment, and they are to be on Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. He is to carry the breast piece of decision^[jb] that depicts Israel’s sons^[jc] on his heart in the Lord’s presence continuously.”

Other Garments for the Priests

³¹ “You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. ³² There is to be an opening at its top, in the middle, with a woven binding around the opening like the opening of a coat of mail so that it cannot be torn. ³³ On its hem you are to make blue and purple and scarlet pomegranates, all around the skirt, with gold bells between them all the way^[jd] around. ³⁴ You are to have a gold bell and a pomegranate, then^[je] a gold bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all the way^[jf] around it. ³⁵ Aaron is to wear the robe when he ministers^[jg] so its sound may be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place in the Lord’s presence, so that he won’t die.

³⁶ “You are to make a medallion^[jh] of pure gold, and engrave on it ‘Holy to the Lord,’ like the engravings of a signet. ³⁷ You are to put it on a blue cord and place it on the turban. It is to be on the front of the turban ³⁸ and worn on Aaron’s forehead in order to take away any guilt contained in the holy things which the Israelis consecrate as holy gifts. It is to remain on his forehead continuously, so they may be accepted in the Lord’s presence.

³⁹ “You are to weave the checkered tunic of fine linen, you are to make a turban of fine linen, and you are to make an embroidered sash. ⁴⁰ “You are to make tunics for the sons of Aaron, you are to make sashes for them, and you are to make head coverings for them for dignity and beauty. ⁴¹ You are to put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and you are to anoint them, ordain them,^[ji] and consecrate them to serve as my priests.

⁴² “You are to make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked flesh, and they are to reach^[jj] from the loins to the thighs. ⁴³ They are to be on Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place so they don’t incur guilt and die. This is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants^[jk] after him.”