name of one was Gersam; for he said, I was a stranger in a 4 strange land; and the name of the other Eliezer; for the God of my fathers, said he, hath been my help, and hath delivered 5 me out of the hand of Pharao) Jothor the father in law of Mo. ses came out to him with his sons and his wife to the wilder6 ness where he was encamped by the mount of God. And

when they told Moses saying, Behold Jothor thy father in law 7 is coming to thee with thy wife and thy two sons with him, Moses went out to meet his father in law and made obeisance to him and kissed him. And when they had embraced each 8 other he conducted them to his tent. And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharao and to all the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the difficulties which they had encountered on the way, and how the Lord had rescued them out of the hand of Pharao and out of the hand of the Egyp9 tians. Whereupon Jothor was enrapt in wonder at all the good things which the Lord had done for them in delivering them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pha10 rao; and Jothor said, Blessed be the Lord. Because he hath

delivered these out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the 11 hand of Pharao, I know now that the Lord is great above all

the gods, for this reason because they were set against these. 12 Then Jothor the father in law of Moses took whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for God; and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread before God with Moses' father in law. 13 And on the morrow Moses sat to administer justice to the peo

ple, and all the people attended on Moses from early in the 14 morning till late in the evening. And when Jothor saw all that

he did for the people, he said, What is this that thou dost for the people? Why hast thou sitten alone and all the people attended 15 thee from morning till night? And Moses said to his father in law, Because the people come to me to have a determination 16 from God. For when a controversy happeneth among them and they come to me, I administer justice to every one, and teach 17 them the statutes of God and his law. Thereupon Moses' father

in law said to him, Thou dost not transact this business right. 18 Both thou and this people with thee must needs be worn down by this intolerable service. This business is too fatiguing for 19 thee. Thou canst not perform it thyself alone. Now therefore

hearken to me and I will advise thee; and God be with thee. 20 Be thou to the people as the Oracle of God; and lay their cases before God; and testify to them the statutes of God and his law; and point out to them the ways in which they shall walk, 21 and the works which they shall do: but look out for thyself from

among all the people, for able, pious men, men of integrity who hate pride; and set these over them as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; and let them administer justice to the people on all occasions: 22 and the matter which is too high for them, they shall lay before

thee; but causes easily determined they themselves shall de23 cide. Thus they will remove a burden from thee and help thee.

If thou do this God will strengthen thee so that thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall go to their place with 24 peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, 25 and did all that he said. And when Moses had chosen able

men from among all Israel and made them rulers of thousands, 26 and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens,

with orders to administer justice to the people on all occasions, and that they should lay before him the matter which was too high for them; but the causes easily determined they them27 selves should decide; then Moses gave his father in law leave to depart and he returned to his own land.

XIX.

Now on the first day of the third month after the departure of the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, on the very day 2 they came to the wilderness of Sina-when they had removed from Raphadin and came to the wilderness of Sina 3 and Israel were encamping there before the mount, Moses

went up to the mount of God. And God called to him out of 4 the mount and said, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the children of Israel-You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians; and how I have taken you up 5 as on the wings of eagles and brought you to myself. Now therefore if you will hearken diligently to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be to me a peculiar people above 6 all the nations; for the whole earth is mine: but as for you, you shall be a royal priesthood and a holy nation. These words 7 thou shalt deliver to the children of Israel. Upon this Moses came and called the elders of the people and laid before them

8 all these words which God enjoined on them. And all the people with one consent answered and said, All that God hath said we will do and we will be obedient. And Moses carried up 9 these words to God. Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold I will come to thee in a pillar of cloud, that the people may hear 10 me speaking to thee and believe thee for ever.-When Moses

told the Lord the words of the people the Lord said to Moses, 11 Go down and testify to the people and purify them to-day and to-morrow and let them wash their garments and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the Lord will de12 scend upon mount Sina in the sight of all the people. Therefore thou shalt remove the people to some distance round about and say, Take heed to yourselves not to go up to the mount nor touch any part of it. Whoever shall touch the 13 mount shall surely die. A hand shall not touch him, for he shall be stoned with stones or shot with a dart. Whether man or beast it shall not live. When the voices and the trumpets and the cloud are gone from the mount, they may go up to the

14

mount.

So Moses went down from the mount to the people and 15 purified them, and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, Be ready, for three days you must not approach a wife.

16

And it came to pass on the third day that about dawn there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on mount Sina, and the voice of the trumpet sounded loud, so that all 17 the people in the camp were terrified. Then Moses led forth the people out of the camp to meet God, and they halted at the 18 foot of the mount. The whole mountain Sina was enveloped

with smoke, because God had descended upon it in fire. And 19 the smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, so that all the people were exceedingly amazed.

Still the sounds of the trumpet waxed louder and louder. Moses had spoken and God had answered him by a voice. And 20 the Lord descended upon mount Sina on the summit of the

mount, and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount, 21 and Moses went up. And God spoke to Moses saying, Go

down and testify to the people; peradventure they may come nigh to God to observe, and a multitude of them may perish.

22 And let the priests who come near to the Lord God be puri23 fied, lest peradventure the Lord withdraw from them. And

Moses said to God, The people cannot advance to mount Sina; for thou hast testified to us saying, Set apart the mount 24 and hallow it. But the Lord said to him, Away; go down

and come up thou and Aaron with thee; but let not the priests nor the people presume to come up to God lest perad25 venture the Lord destroy some of them. And when Moses had gone down to the people and spoken to them, the Lord spoke all these words saying,

XX. I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the 3 land of Egypt-out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods besides me.

4

Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol, nor the likeness of any thing, which is in the heaven above, or in the earth below, or in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not worship 5 them; nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a zealous God, retributing to them who hate me the sins of fathers upon 6 children to the third and fourth generation; but shewing mercy for thousands [of generations] to them who love me and keep my commandments.

7

8

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord thy God will not hold him guiltless who taketh his name in vain.

Remember the day of the sabbaths to hallow it. Six days 9 labour and do all thy works; but on the seventh day are sab10 baths to the Lord thy God; On it thou shalt not do any work,

thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy ox, nor thy ass, nor any of thy cattle, 11 nor the stranger who sojourneth with thee; for in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.

12

Honour thy father and thy mother that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayst live long in that good land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

16

17

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, nor his field, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any of his cattle, nor any thing belonging to thy neighbour. 18 And all the people looked towards the thunder and the lightnings and the sound of the trumpet and the mount which was smoking; and all the people being struck with terror stood at 19 a distance. And they said to Moses, Speak thou to us: and 20 let not God speak to us lest we die. Whereupon Moses said to them, Take courage; for God is come to you to prove you, that the dread of him may be in you, that you 21 may not sin. Then the people stood afar off, and Moses 22 went into the thick darkness, where God was. And the

Lord said to Moses, Thus shalt thou say to the house of 23 Jacob and announce to the children of Israel, You have seen

that I have spoken to you from heaven. You shall not make for yourselves gods of silver, nor shall you make for yourselves 24 gods of gold. An altar of earth you shall make for me, and sacrifice thereon your whole burnt offerings and your offerings of thanksgiving, both your sheep and your young bulls in 25 every place where I record my name. And I will come to thee

and bless thee. And if thou makest for me an altar of stones; thou shalt not build it of hewn stones: for thou hast put thy 26 workmanship on them and they are polluted. Thou shalt not go up to my altar by steps, that thou mayst not discover thy nakedness on it.

XXI. And these are the rules of rectitude which thou shalt set before them.

2 If thou purchase a Hebrew servant, he shall serve thee six years, but in the seventh year he shall go out free without 3 ransom. If he came in alone, he shall go out alone; but if his 4 wife came with him his wife shall go out with him. And if his master hath given him a wife and she hath born him sons or daughters, the wife and the children shall belong to his master, 5 and he shall go out alone. And if the servant shall answer and I love my master and my wife and my children, I will not go 6 away free, his master shall bring him to God's court of Justice and there lead him to the door-to the door post, and his mas

say,