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Battle With the Amalekites
8 Then the Amalekites came and fought against the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Select some men for us, and go out and fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop, and God’s staff will be in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did just as Moses told him.
While Joshua was fighting against the Amalekites, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, the Israelites would start winning, but whenever he lowered his hand,[a] the Amalekites would start winning. 12 When Moses’ arms became tired, they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands—one on one side, and one on the other side. In this way his hands were steady until sunset. 13 So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a memorial, and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely erase the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord Is My Banner,” 16 because he had said, “Since a hand was raised against the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war with the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Jethro Visits Moses
18 Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 After Moses had sent his wife Zipporah away, his father-in-law Jethro had taken her in, 3 along with her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom,[c] for Moses had said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land.” 4 The name of the other was Eliezer,[d] for he had said, “My father’s God was my helper, and he has delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, Moses’ sons, and his wife were coming to Moses in the wilderness where he had camped at the mountain of God. 6 He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, your wife, and her two sons are coming to you.”
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other how they had been,[e] and they went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, about all the hardships that had confronted them along the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good things that the Lord had done for Israel when he delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and the hand of Pharaoh. Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered the people out of the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods because he did this to those who acted arrogantly against the Israelites.”
12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 The next day Moses sat down to serve as a judge for the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever there is a dispute between them, they come to me, and I judge between the two sides, and I reveal the regulations of God and his laws.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, for the work is too much for you. You are not able to handle this alone. 19 Listen to me now. I will give you advice, and may God be with you. Represent the people before God, and bring their disputes to God. 20 Instruct them about the regulations and laws, and show them the way they are to live and the things that they are to do. 21 But you should select capable men from among all the people, God-fearing, trustworthy men, who hate dishonest gain. Then place them over the people as officials over groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty, or ten. 22 Have them judge all the disputes of the people at the first level. They can refer any difficult case to you, but every easy case they can judge themselves. Make your load lighter; they can carry it with you. 23 If you will do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will also return home satisfied.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose capable men from all of Israel and made them leaders over the people: officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged all the cases of the people initially. They brought the difficult cases to Moses, but every easy case they judged themselves. 27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he returned to his own land.
Israel at Sinai
19 In the third month after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, on that same day of the month, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim and came to the Wilderness of Sinai, they camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
3 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 to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special treasure out of all the nations, although the entire earth is mine. 6 You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7 Moses went and summoned the elders of the people, and he set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together, “Everything that the Lord has said, we will do.”
Moses brought back the people’s words to the Lord. 9 The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I will come to you in a dense cloud so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and then they will always believe you.” Moses told the people’s words to the Lord.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothes. 11 Be ready by 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 shall set boundaries for the people all around the mountain. Tell them: ‘Be careful that you do not go up onto the mountain or touch the edge of it.’ Whoever touches the mountain must certainly be put to death. 13 No one’s hand is to touch such a person, but that person is to be stoned to death or shot with arrows. No such animal or person shall be allowed to live. But when the special ram’s horn sounds a long blast, the people may come up to the mountain.”
14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Do not come near a woman.”[f]
Love God and Your Neighbor
34 When they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees met together. 35 One of them who was an expert in the law asked him a question, trying to trap him. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend[c] on these two commandments.”
David’s Son and David’s Lord
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”
They said to him, “The Son of David.”
43 He said to them, “Then how can David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies
under your feet’?”[d]
45 “So if David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
46 No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Do Not Do As They Do
23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. 2 He said, “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So practice and observe whatever they tell you. But do not do as they do, because they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads, burdens that are hard to carry, and place them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to help them. 5 They do all their works to be seen by people. They make their phylacteries[e] wide and lengthen the fringes of their garments. 6 They love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and being called ‘Rabbi’ by people. 8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Also do not call anyone on earth your ‘Father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 And you are not to be called ‘leaders,’ for you have one Leader, the Christ. 11 But the greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Confident in Prayer
7 Hear me, O Lord. With my voice I call.
Be merciful to me and answer me.
8 When you say, “Seek my face,” my heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger.
You have been my help.
Do not reject me or forsake me, O God who saves me.
10 If my father and my mother abandoned me,
the Lord would take me in.
Walking in God’s Path
11 Lord, teach me your way,
and lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not give me up to the desire of my foes,
because false witnesses rise up against me,
and so do those who breathe out violence.
At Home in God’s Land
13 Unless I was confident to see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living—[a]
14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart,
and wait for the Lord!
27 Can a man place fire on his lap
without burning his clothes?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without scorching his feet?
29 So it is with the man who goes to his neighbor’s wife.
No one who touches her will be forgiven.
30 No one despises a thief when he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving,
31 but when he is caught, he will have to repay seven times as much.
He will have to give up all the wealth of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks sense.
He who does it destroys himself.
33 He will find disease and dishonor,
and his disgrace will never be wiped out,
34 because jealousy ignites a husband’s anger,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any amount as a payment.
He will not relent, even if you increase your offer.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.