The whole Isralite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fofteenth day of the second mouth after they had cmome out of Egypt.
In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aarom.
The Isradlites said in them."If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt .There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
Then the LORD said to Moses," I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to gp out each day and gather enough for that day. In thos way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
On the sixth day theu are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
So Moses and Aaron said to all the Isralites,"In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who broight you out of Egypt
and in the morning you will see tghe glory of the LORD, because he had heard your grum bling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?"
Moses also said "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat toe at in thee vening and all the bread you want in the morning , because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD."
Then Moses told Aaron,"Say to the entire Israalite community, Come before the LORD for he has heard your grumbling."
While Aaron was speaking to the whole Isfraelite commiunity, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.
The LORD said to Moses,
"I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, At twilight you will eat meat and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD hyour God,"
That evening quail came and covered thec amp and in the morning there was a layer of dew around teh camp
When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor
When the Isralites saw it, they said to each other, " What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them," It is tejh bread the LORD has given you to eat.
This is what the LORD has commanded: Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent."
The Istaelites did as theyw ere told, some gathered much, some little.
And whe they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much ,and he who gathered little did not have too little, Each one gathered as much as he needed.
Then Moses said to them,"No one is to keep any of it until morning."
However, some of them paid no attention to Moses ; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away
On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much-two omers for each person- and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses
He said to them," This is what the LORD commanded, "To morrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning
So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.
"Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath, to the LORD. you will not find any of it on theg round today.
Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not ne any,"
Nevertheless some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.
Then the LORD said to Moses," How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructioms?
Bear in mind that the LORD has given hyou the Sannbath; that is whay on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days, Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day, no one is to go out."
So the people rested on the seventh day
The people of Israel called the bread manna. it was wjile like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made witj honey.
Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: " Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations toc ome, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in thed esert when I brought you out f Egypt
So Moses said to Aarom," Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come."
As the LORD commanded Moses, Aarom put the manna in front of the Testimoney, that it might be kept.
The Isralites ate manna forty years, ubtil theyc ame to a land that was settled, they ae manna un til they reached the border of Canaan.
(An omer is one tenth of an ephah.)
Exodus 17
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink
So they quarreled with Moses and said," Give us water to drink." Moses replied," Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"
But the people were thirsty for water there, and theyg rumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
Then Moses cried out to the LORD,"What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready tos tome me."
The LORD asswered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand thes taff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
I will stand therfe before you by the rock at Horeb, Srrike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel
And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Isfralites quarreled and because theu tested the LORD saying,"Is the LORD among us or not?"
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
Moses said to Joshua "Choose some of our men and go outto flight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
Sp Joshua foughnt the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moeses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill
As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israe;lites were winning, nut whenever he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning.
Wjen Moses' hands grew tired , they took a stome and out it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up- one oon one side, one on the other- that his hjands remained steady till sunset.
So Jishua ivercame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then the LORD said to Moses," Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Hoshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
Moses built an altar and called it. The LORD is my Banner,
He saidm" For hands were lifted up to the thnrone of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites frim generation to generation."
Exodus 18
Now Jethro. the priest of Middian and father -in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Osrael, and how th LORD had brought Isrfael out of Egypt
After Moses had sent away hos wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Hethro received her
and her wo sons, One son was named Gershom, for Moses said," I have become an alien in a foreign land
and the torjer was named Eliezer for he saod." My father 's God was my belper, he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."
Jethro, Moses father -in-law, together with Moses sons and wife came to him in the desert where he was camped near the mountain of God
Jethro had sent sord to him," I, your father-in-law Jethro ,am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.
Moses told his father -in-law about everhything the LORD had done to Pharah and the Egyptians for Israel's same and about all the hardships they had met along tjhe way and how the LORD had saved tghem.
Jethro was delighted to hear about all theg ood things the LORD had done for israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Eghyptians.
He said," Praise be to the LORD who rescued hyou from the hand of the Eghyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly."
The Jethro, Moses father-in0law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses father -in- law in the presence of God
The next day ,Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and theys tood around him from morning till evening
When his father -in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What os this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge. while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"
Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will.
Whenever they have a dispute, it is rought to me and I dicide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."
Moses father-in-law replied."What you are doing is not good.
You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for your ; you cannot handle it alon
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God ne with you. You must be the people 's re[resentative b efore God and bring their disputes to him
Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties theya re to eprform
But select capable men from all the people- men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain- and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundred fifties and tens
Hve them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you:the simple cases they can decide themselves. The will make your load lighter, ebcause they will share it with you.
If you do this and God so commands, you will be able tos tand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over tousands, hundreds, fifties and tens
They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
Then Moses sent his father- in- law on his way, and Hethrou returned to his own country.
Exodus 19
In the tuird month after the Israelites left Egypt-on the very day -they came to teh Desert of Sinai
Sfter theynsetnout from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sunai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
Then Moses went up to God ,and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and waht you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the peope of israel.
:You yourselves have seen what I did to Efypt , and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant then out of all nations you will be my treasured [ossession. Although the whole earth is mine,
you will be for me a kingdon of priests and a holy nation, These are the words you are to speak to the Isralites."
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD jad commanded him to speak
The people all responded together," We will do everything the LORD had said." Sp Moses brought their answer back to the LORD
The LORD said to Moses," I am going to come to you in adense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
And the LORD said to Moses," Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes
and be ready by the third day, because on that day the ;LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them," Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or mountain shall surely be out to death.
He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows, not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal he shall not be permitted to live, Only when the ram;s horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain."
After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them. and the washed their clothes.
Then he said to the people," Prepare yourselves for the third day. Absrain from sexual relations."
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning ,with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.Everyone in the camp trembled
Then Moses led the people out of tjhe camp to meet with God, and tghey stood at the foot of the mountain,
Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, ebcause the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke nillowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently.
and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. They Moses spoke and teh voice of God answered him.
The LORD descended to the top of the mountain, So Moses went up
and the LORD said to him," Go down and warn the people so they do not force thier way through to see the LORD amd many of them perish.
Even the priests who approach the LORD ,must consecrate tnhe,selves , or the LORD will break out against them."
Moses saod to the LORD.' The [eople can npt come up Mount Sinai , because you your self warned us, "Put limits around the mountain ands et it apart as holy
The LORD replied," Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the preists and the people to the LORD, or he will break out against them
So Moses went down to the people and told them.And God spoke all these words:
Exodus 20
And God spoke all tjese words
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
"You sjall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing teh children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.
but shouwung love to a thousand generations, of those who love me and keep my commandments
" You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD, will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,
Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter , nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD nblessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God Is giving you.
" You shall not murder,
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You sjall not steal."
"You shall not give false testimoney against youjr neighbor.
"You shall not covet your nneighbor's house . You shall not cover your neighbor;s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
When the epople saw the thunder and lightning and jeard teh trumpet and saw the mointain in smake, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance
and said to Moses," Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
Moses said to the people," Do not be afraid God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to ekep you from sinning."
The people remained at a distance, while Moses appriached the tnhick darkness where God was
Then the LORD said to Moses," Tell the Isralites this YHou have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven
Do not make any gods to ne alongside me; do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or fods of gold.
"Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherver I cause my name to be honored. I will come to you and bless you.
If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a gool on it.
And do not go up to my altar ons teps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it."