Yitro

Shemot 18:1 - 20:23(26)*
Shemot 18:1 And Yitro, the priest of Miḏyan, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard of all that Elohim had done for Moshe and for Yisra’ĕl His people, that יהוה had brought Yisra’ĕl out of Mitsrayim.
Shemot 18:2 And Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, took Tsipporah, the wife of Moshe – after he had sent her back,
Shemot 18:3 and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gĕreshom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”
Shemot 18:4 and the name of the other was Eliʽezer, for he said, “The Elohim of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
Shemot 18:5 Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moshe in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of Elohim.
Shemot 18:6 And he had said to Moshe, “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”
Shemot 18:7 And Moshe went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their welfare, and they went into the tent.
Shemot 18:8 And Moshe told his father-in-law all that יהוה had done to Pharaoh and to the Mitsrites for Yisra’ĕl’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how יהוה had delivered them.
Shemot 18:9 And Yitro rejoiced for all the good which יהוה had done for Yisra’ĕl, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Mitsrites.
Shemot 18:10 And Yitro said, “Blessed be יהוה, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Mitsrites and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitsrites.
Shemot 18:11 “Now I know that יהוה is greater than all the elohim, indeed in the matter in which they acted proudly, above them.”
Shemot 18:12 Then Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, brought a burnt offering and other slaughterings unto Elohim. And Aharon came with all the elders of Yisra’ĕl to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moshe before Elohim.
Shemot 18:13 And it came to be, on the next day, that Moshe sat to rightly rule the people. And the people stood before Moshe from morning until evening.
Shemot 18:14 And when the father-in-law of Moshe saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
Shemot 18:15 And Moshe said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek Elohim.
Shemot 18:16 “When they have a matter, they come to me, and I rightly rule between one and another, and make known the laws of Elohim and His Torot.”
Shemot 18:17 And the father-in-law of Moshe said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
Shemot 18:18 “Both you and these people with you shall certainly wear yourselves out. For the matter is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.
Shemot 18:19 “Now listen to my voice. Let me counsel you and Elohim be with you: Stand before Elohim for the people, and you shall bring the matters to Elohim.
Shemot 18:20 “And you shall enlighten them concerning the laws and the Torot, and show them the way in which they should walk and the work which they do.
Shemot 18:21 “But you yourself, seek out from all the people able men, who fear Elohim, men of truth, hating unfair gain. And place these over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Shemot 18:22 “And they shall rightly rule the people at all times. And it shall be that they bring every great matter to you, but they themselves rightly rule every small matter. So, make it lighter for yourself, for they shall bear with you.
Shemot 18:23 “If you do this word, and Elohim shall command you, then you shall be able to stand and all this people also go to their place in peace.”
Shemot 18:24 And Moshe listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he said.
Shemot 18:25 And Moshe chose able men out of all Yisra’ĕl, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Shemot 18:26 And they rightly ruled the people at all times – the hard matters they brought to Moshe, but they rightly ruled every small matter themselves.
Shemot 18:27 And Moshe sent off his father-in-law, and he went away to his own land.
Shemot 19:1 In the third month after the children of Yisra’ĕl had come out of the land of Mitsrayim, on this day they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.
Shemot 19:2 For they set out from Rephiḏim, and had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Yisra’ĕl camped there before the mountain.
Shemot 19:3 And Moshe went up to Elohim, and יהוה called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you are to say to the house of Ya`akov̱, and declare to the children of Yisra’ĕl:
Shemot 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Shemot 19:5 ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine –
Shemot 19:6 ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of kohanim and a kadosh nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl.”
Shemot 19:7 And Moshe came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which יהוה commanded him.
Shemot 19:8 And all the people answered together and said, “All that יהוה has spoken we shall do.” So Moshe brought back the words of the people to יהוה.
Shemot 19:9 And יהוה said to Moshe, “See, I am coming to you in the thick cloud, so that the people hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” And Moshe reported the words of the people to יהוה.
Shemot 19:10 And יהוה said to Moshe, “Go to the people and set them apart today and tomorrow. And they shall wash their garments,
Shemot 19:11 and shall be prepared by the third day. For on the third day יהוה shall come down upon Har Sinai before the eyes of all the people.
Shemot 19:12 “And you shall make a border for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death.
Shemot 19:13 ‘Not a hand is to touch it, but he shall certainly be stoned or shot with an arrow, whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, let them come near the mountain.”
Shemot 19:14 And Moshe came down from the mountain to the people and set the people apart, and they washed their garments.
Shemot 19:15 And he said to the people, “Be prepared by the third day. Do not come near a wife.”
Shemot 19:16 And it came to be, on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain. And the sound of the ram’s horn was very loud, and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Shemot 19:17 And Moshe brought the people out of the camp to meet with Elohim, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Shemot 19:18 And Har Sinai was in smoke, all of it, because יהוה descended upon it in fire. And its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled exceedingly.
Shemot 19:19 And when the blast of the ram’s horn sounded long and became louder and louder, Moshe spoke, and Elohim answered him by voice.
Shemot 19:20 And יהוה came down upon Har Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And יהוה called Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe went up.
Shemot 19:21 And יהוה said to Moshe, “Go down, and warn the people, lest they break through unto יהוה to see, and many of them fall.
Shemot 19:22 “And let the kohanim who come near יהוה set themselves apart too, lest יהוה break out against them.”
Shemot 19:23 And Moshe said to יהוה, “The people are not able to come up to Har Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Make a border around the mountain and set it apart.’ ”
Shemot 19:24 And יהוה said to him, “Come, go down and then come up, you and Aharon with you. But do not let the kohanim and the people break through to come up to יהוה, lest He break out against them.”
Shemot 19:25 And Moshe went down to the people and spoke to them.
Shemot 20:1 And Elohim spoke all these Words, saying,
Shemot 20:2 א “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.
Shemot 20:3 ב “You have no other elohim against My face.
Shemot 20:4 “You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth,
Shemot 20:5 you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, יהוה your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Shemot 20:6 but showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My mitzvot.
Shemot 20:7 ג “You do not bring1 the Name of יהוה your Elohim to naught, for יהוה does not leave the one unpunished who brings His Name to naught. Footnote: 1Or lift up, or take.
Shemot 20:8 ד “Remember the Shabbat, to keep it kadosh.
Shemot 20:9 “Six days you labor, and shall do all your work,
Shemot 20:10 but the seventh day is the Shabbat1 of יהוה your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male slave, nor your female slave, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. Footnote: 1There are other Sabbaths, but this is the weekly Sabbath.
Shemot 20:11 “For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the Shabbat and made it kadosh.
Shemot 20:12 ה “Respect your father and your mother, so that your days are prolonged upon the soil which יהוה your Elohim is giving you.
Shemot 20:13 ו “You do not murder.
Shemot 20:14 ז “You do not commit adultery.
Shemot 20:15 ח “You do not steal.
Shemot 20:16 ט “You do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Shemot 20:17 י “You do not covet your neighbor’s house, you do not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male slave, nor his female slave, nor his ox, nor his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor.”
Shemot 20:18 And all the people saw the thunders, the lightning flashes, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain smoking. And the people saw it, and they trembled and stood at a distance,
Shemot 20:19 and said to Moshe, “You speak with us and we hear, but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die.”
Shemot 20:20 And Moshe said to the people, “Do not fear, for Elohim has come to prove you, and in order that His fear be before you, so that you do not sin.”
Shemot 20:21 So the people stood at a distance, but Moshe drew near the thick darkness where Elohim was.
Shemot 20:22 And יהוה said to Moshe, “Say this to the children of Yisra’ĕl: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from the heavens.
Shemot 20:23 ‘You do not make besides Me elohim of silver, and you do not make elohim of gold for yourselves.
Shemot 20:24 ‘Make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall slaughter on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause My Name to be remembered I shall come to you and bless you.
Shemot 20:25 ‘And if you make Me an altar of stone, do not build it of cut stone, for if you use your chisel on it, you have profaned it.
Shemot 20:26 ‘Nor do you go up by steps to My altar, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’