Neofiti Exodus

Israel in Egypt

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went into Egypt with Jacob; each man went with the members of his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the people descended from Jacob numbered seventy, with Joseph, who was in Egypt. 6 Joseph died, along with all his brothers and that whole generation. 7 The sons of Israel grew strong, had children, and increased in number. ⟨…⟩

Pharaoh Enslaves the Israelites

8 A new king rose over Egypt who did not know Joseph and did not follow his ways. 9 He told his people, “The people of the sons of Israel have become more numerous and stronger than we are. 10 Come, let us make evil plans against them and pass decrees to reduce their numbers before they increase. If battle lines are drawn, they might join our enemies, fight against us, appoint a king over themselves, and leave the land.” 11 They appointed taskmasters over them to oppress them with their labor, and they built fortified cities for Pharaoh: Tanis and Pelusium. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more numerous and strong they became, and the Egyptians were distressed by the people of the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians subjected the sons of Israel to harsh slavery. 14 They embittered their lives with hard labor in clay and bricks and every kind of work in the fields, all the work they were made to do with harshness.

The Hebrew Midwives

15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one named Shiphrah and the other Puah. 16 He said, “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, look at the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; if a daughter, let her live.” 17 But the midwives feared before the Lord. They did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they kept the children alive. 18 The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and kept the children alive?” 19 The midwives told Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are unlike the Egyptian women; they are vigorous. Before the midwife reaches them, they pray before their Father in the heavens. He answers them, and they give birth.”⁠a 20 The Lord showed kindness to the midwives, and the people increased and became very strong. 21 Since the midwives feared before the Lord, they gained a good name among the house of Israel, and he established houses for them: the royal house and the house of the high priesthood. Miriam received the crown of kingship, and Jochebed received the crown of the high priesthood. 22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Throw every son born to the Jews into the river, but keep every daughter alive.”

The Birth of Moses

1 A man of the house of Levi went and married the daughter of Levi. 2 The woman became pregnant and bore a son. Seeing that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him and coated it with bitumen and pitch. She laid the child in it and placed it in the meadow at the river’s edge. 4 His sister waited at a distance to find out what would happen to him. 5 Pharaoh’s daughter came down to cool herself by the river while her attendants walked along its bank. She saw the basket in the meadow and sent her servant to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the child. The child was crying, and she felt pity for him. She said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 His sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Go.” The girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Raise this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” The woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I rescued him from the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian

11 In those days, when Moses had grown, he went out to his brothers and saw their labor. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12 He looked this way and that, and saw that no one was there. He killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one at fault, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 ⟨He said,⟩ “Who appointed you chief and ruler over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses became afraid and said, “Now the matter is known.” 15 Pharaoh heard about this and sought to kill Moses. Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat beside a well. 16 The chief of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses rose to help them and watered their flock. 18 When they came to their father Reuel, he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today?” 19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered our flock.” 20 He asked his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Invite him to eat.” 21 Moses began to live with the man, who gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage. 22 She bore a son and named him Gershom, for he said, “I am a resident and settler in a foreign land.”

Israel Cries for Help

23 After those many days, the king of Egypt died. The sons of Israel groaned under their labor and cried out, and their complaint about their labor rose before the Lord. 24 Their complaint was heard before the Lord, and the Lord in his good mercies remembered the covenant he had sworn with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 The slavery of the sons of Israel was revealed before the Lord, and he resolved in his Memra to redeem them.

Moses at the Burning Bush

1 Moses was tending the flock ⟨of his father-in-law Jethro, the chief of Midian, and led the flock⟩ beyond the wilderness. He came to Mount Horeb, above which the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed. 2 An angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a thornbush. He saw that the thornbush was burning in the fire, yet the thornbush was not consumed. 3 Moses said, “Let me turn aside and look at this great sight. Why is the thornbush not burning up?” 4 It was revealed before the Lord that Moses had turned aside to look. The Memra of the Lord called to him from within the thornbush, “Moses, Moses!” Moses answered in the language of the sanctuary, “Here I am.” 5 He said, “Do not come closer. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is a holy place.” 6 He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, afraid to look at the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord. 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the suffering of my people in Egypt and heard their complaint against their oppressors, for their slavery is revealed before me. 8 I have revealed myself in my Memra to rescue them from the Egyptians and bring them up from that land into a good, spacious land, a land yielding good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey: the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 Now the complaint of the sons of Israel has reached me, and the oppression the Egyptians inflict on them is also revealed before me. 10 Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh. Bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt as redeemed people.” 11 Moses said before the Lord, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel up from Egypt as redeemed people?” 12 He said, “I, in my Memra, will be with you. This will be your sign that my Memra has sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship before the Lord on this mountain.”

The Lord Reveals His Name

13 ⟨Moses⟩ said before the Lord, “When I go to the sons of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” 14 The Lord told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said, “Tell the sons of Israel: ‘The one who spoke and the world came into being at the beginning, and who will again say to it, “Be,” and it will be, has sent me to you.’” 15 The Lord spoke to Moses again: “Tell the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered through every generation. 16 Go, gather the wise men of Israel and tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: “The Lord has surely remembered you and what the Egyptians have done to you. 17 I have resolved in his Memra to bring you up from slavery to the Egyptians into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land yielding fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey.”’ 18 They will listen to you. You and the wise men of Israel are to go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. Now please let us travel three days into the wilderness to offer sacrifices before the Lord our God.’ 19 I know the king of Egypt will not let you go, not even under a mighty hand. 20 I will send the plague of my punishment and kill the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. After that he will let you go. 21 I will grant this people favor in the Egyptians’ eyes. When you go, ⟨you will not go⟩ empty-handed. 22 Each woman will ask her neighbor and the woman lodging in her house for silver objects, gold objects, and clothing. Put them on your sons and daughters, and strip the Egyptians of their wealth.”

Signs for Moses

1 Moses replied, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me, saying, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” 2 The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” He answered, “A staff.” 3 He said, “Drop it on the ground.” He dropped it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses fled from it. 4 The Lord told Moses, “Reach out your hand and grasp its tail.” He reached out and grasped it, and it became a staff in his palm. 5 “This is so they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 He told him again, “Put your hand inside your robe.” He put his hand inside his robe and drew it out, and his hand was diseased, white as snow. 7 He said, “Put your hand back inside your robe.” He put it back inside his robe and drew it out, and it had returned to normal, like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they do not believe you or heed what the first sign tells them, they will believe what the second sign tells them. 9 If they do not believe even these two signs or listen to you, take water from the river and pour it on dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the dry ground.”

Moses Objects to His Assignment

10 Moses said before the Lord, “Lord, I appeal to the mercy before you. I am no master of speech, neither yesterday nor before that, nor since you spoke to your servant. My mouth and my speech falter.” 11 The Lord told Moses, “Who gave a human being ⟨a mouth⟩? Who made those who cannot speak, those who cannot hear, those who see, or those who are blind? Was it not I, the Lord? 12 Go now. I, with my Memra, will be with your speech and teach you what to say.” 13 He said, “Lord, I appeal to the mercy before you. Please send someone fit to be sent.” 14 The Lord’s anger grew fierce against Moses. He said, “You have your brother Aaron the Levite, don’t you? I know that he can speak well. He is already coming to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will rejoice. 15 Speak to him and place the words in his mouth. I, in my Memra, will be with your speech and his speech, and teach you what to do. 16 He will speak on your behalf to the people and serve as your interpreter, while you will be for him one who seeks instruction from before the Lord. 17 Take this staff in your hand; with it you will perform wondrous signs.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and told him, “Let me go back to my brothers in Egypt and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 The Lord told Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to take your life are dead.” 20 Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and returned toward Egypt. He took in his hand the staff with which signs were performed before the Lord. 21 The Lord told Moses, “As you return to Egypt, consider all the signs I have put in your hand. Perform them before Pharaoh, but I will harden his heart, and he will not release the people. 22 Tell Pharaoh, ‘The Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I told you, “Release my son to worship before me,” but you refused to release him. Now I will kill your firstborn son.’”

Zipporah and the Circumcision

24 On the journey, at the lodging place, an angel from before the Lord encountered him and sought to kill him. 25 Zipporah took a flint and circumcised the son. She brought the foreskin near the destroyer’s feet and said, “The bridegroom truly wished to circumcise, but his father-in-law did not allow him. Now let the blood of this circumcision atone for the sins of this bridegroom.” 26 The angel released him. Then Zipporah gave praise and said, “How precious the blood is that has rescued this bridegroom from the hand of the angel of death!”

Moses and Aaron Meet the Elders

27 The Lord told Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, met him at the mountain of the sanctuary of the Lord, and kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron all the words the Lord had sent him to say ⟨and all the signs he had commanded him to perform⟩. 29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the wise men of the sons of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words the Lord had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs before the people. 31 The people believed in the name of the Memra of the Lord. They heard that the Lord in his good mercies had remembered the sons of Israel and that their suffering was revealed before him. They bowed, gave thanks, and praised.

Pharaoh Refuses to Release Israel

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Release the people to celebrate a festival before me in the wilderness.’” 2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and release Israel? Pharaoh does not know who the Lord is, and I will not release Israel.” 3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us travel three days into the wilderness to offer sacrifices before the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with a plague or the sword.” 4 The king of Egypt asked them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you making the people stop their work? Go back to your labor!” 5 Pharaoh said, “The people ⟨of the land⟩ are now numerous, and you are making them rest from their labor.”

Bricks Without Straw

6 That day Pharaoh commanded the people’s overseers and their oppressors: 7 “Stop giving the people straw to make bricks as you did yesterday and before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 Require them to make the same number of bricks as yesterday and before; do not reduce it. They are idle, and that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices before our God.’ 9 Make the men’s work harder and keep them working at it. They must not occupy themselves with liars’ words.” 10 The people’s oppressors and overseers went out and told the people, “Pharaoh says: ‘I will give you no straw. 11 Go and gather straw wherever you can find it, but none of your work will be reduced.’” 12 The people scattered throughout Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The oppressors pressed them, saying, “Finish your work, each day’s quota, as when you were given straw.” 14 The overseers of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s oppressors had appointed over them, were beaten and asked, “Why have you failed, yesterday and today, to complete your brick quota as before?” 15 The overseers of the sons of Israel came and cried out before Pharaoh, “Why are you treating your servants this way? 16 Your servants receive no straw, yet you tell us, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, while Pharaoh and the people are at fault.” 17 He answered, “You are idle, idle! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and make an offering before the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. You will receive no straw, but you must deliver the required number of bricks.” 19 The overseers of the sons of Israel saw their plight when they were told, “Do not reduce your daily brick quota.”

Moses Questions the Lord

20 As they left Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron standing in front of them. 21 They told them, “May the Lord appear against you and judge you. You have given us a bad name in the eyes of Pharaoh and his rulers and put a sword in their hands to kill us.” 22 Moses returned before the Lord and said, “Lord, I appeal to the mercy before you. Why have you brought harm on this people? Why did you send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in the name of your Memra, he has harmed this people, and you have done nothing to redeem your people.”

The Promise of Redemption

1 The Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Under a mighty hand he will release them, and under a mighty hand he will drive them out of the land.” 2 The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared in my Memra to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the God of the heavens, but I did not make my mighty name, the Lord, known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as settlers. 5 I have also heard the complaint of the sons of Israel, whom the Egyptians enslave, and in mercy I have remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore tell the sons of Israel under oath: ‘I am the Lord. I will redeem you and bring you out from beneath the yoke of Egyptian slavery, rescue you from your labor, and redeem you with a mighty hand and many judgments. 7 I will set you apart for my name as a people of holy ones. My Memra will be a redeeming God for you, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, who redeemed you and brought you out from beneath the yoke of Egyptian slavery. 8 I will bring you into the land I raised my hand in oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and give it to you as ⟨an inheritance⟩ and a possession. I am the Lord.’” 9 Moses spoke this way to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses’ words, their spirits crushed by harsh slavery. 10 The Lord spoke to Moses: 11 “Go in and tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to release the sons of Israel from his land.” 12 Moses said before the Lord, “The sons of Israel have not listened to ⟨my⟩ words. How will Pharaoh listen to me when my speech falters?” 13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and instructed them concerning the sons of Israel and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land.

The Families of Moses and Aaron

14 These are the heads of their ancestral houses. The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of the sons of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of the Canaanite woman. These are the families of the sons of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi by their genealogies: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their families. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the sons of Levi by their genealogies. 20 Amram married Jochebed, the daughter of his father’s brother, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the sons of Korah. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, married one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite ancestral houses by their families. 26 These are Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord ⟨said⟩, “Bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.” 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about bringing the sons of Israel out of Egypt: this Moses and Aaron.

Moses Is Sent to Pharaoh Again

28 On the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 ⟨the Lord⟩ told Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I tell you.” 30 Moses said before the Lord, “My speech falters. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Moses and Aaron Are Sent to Pharaoh

1 The Lord told Moses, “See, I have appointed you chief and ruler over Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your interpreter. 2 Speak everything I command you. Your brother Aaron will speak to Pharaoh to release the sons of Israel from his land. 3 I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn and multiply ⟨my⟩ signs and wonders in the land of the Egyptians. 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. I will bring the plagues of my punishment upon Egypt and bring the divisions of my people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt with many judgments. 5 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I bring the plagues of my punishment upon Egypt and redeem the sons of Israel and bring them out from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Serpent

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Give a sign for yourselves,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and drop it before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.” 10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron dropped his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Pharaoh also summoned the wise men and sorcerers, and the sorcerers of the Egyptians did the same with their sorcery. 12 Each dropped his staff, and they became serpents, but Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs. 13 Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Water Turns to Blood

14 The Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to release the people. 15 ⟨Go to⟩ Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to cool himself by the river. Stand before him on the riverbank, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 Tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message: “Release my people to worship before me in the wilderness.” You have not listened until now. 17 The Lord says: “By this you will know that I am the Lord. With the staff in my hand I will strike the water in the river, and it will turn to blood. 18 The fish in the river will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will struggle to drink water from the river.”’” 19 The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of the Egyptians, over their rivers, springs, canals, and every collection of water, and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, in wooden vessels and stone vessels.’” 20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. He raised the staff and struck the river’s water before Pharaoh and his rulers, and all the water in the river turned to blood. 21 The fish in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink water from it. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt. 22 The Egyptian sorcerers did the same with their sorcery. Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house without taking even this plague to heart. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the river ⟨for drinking water, for they could not⟩ drink from the river’s water. 25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the river’s water and healed it.

The Threat of Frogs

26 The Lord told Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘The Lord says: Release the people to worship before me. 27 If you refuse to release them, I will wipe out all your territory with frogs. 28 The river will teem with frogs. They will come up into your house, into the bedrooms where you sleep, onto your bed, into your rulers’ houses, among your people and all your rulers, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. 29 The frogs will come up on you, your people, and all your rulers.’”

The Plague of Frogs

1 The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron: Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, pools, and marshes, and bring frogs up over the land of Egypt.” 2 Aaron stretched out his hand over the Egyptians’ waters, and frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 3 The sorcerers did the same with their sorceries, bringing frogs up over the land of Egypt. 4 Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray before the Lord to remove the frogs from me and my people. I will let the people go to sacrifice before the Lord.” 5 Moses told Pharaoh, “Give me a sign and trust me: when should I pray for you, your rulers, and your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your household? Only those in the river will remain.” 6 He said, “Tomorrow.” He replied, “As you say, so that you may know there is none like the Lord our God. 7 The frogs will leave you, your household, your rulers, and your people. Only those in the river will remain.” 8 Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moses prayed before the Lord concerning the frogs he had sent against Pharaoh. 9 The Lord did as Moses said, and the frogs died in the houses, courtyards, and fields. 10 They gathered them in heaps upon heaps, and the land stank. 11 Pharaoh saw there was a time of relief and hardened his heart, refusing to listen to them, as the Lord had spoken.

The Plague of Vermin

12 The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron: ⟨Stretch out⟩ your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become vermin throughout the land of Egypt.” 13 They did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the ground’s dust, and vermin came upon people and animals. All the ground’s dust became vermin throughout the land of Egypt. 14 The sorcerers did the same with their sorceries to produce vermin, but could not. Vermin were on people and animals. 15 The sorcerers told Pharaoh, “This is the mighty finger from before the Lord.” Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken.

The Plague of Swarming Creatures

16 The Lord told Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand ready before Pharaoh. He is going out to refresh himself by the river. Tell him: This is what the Lord says: Let my people go to worship before me. 17 If you do not let my people go, I will send a mixed swarm against you, your rulers, your people, and your household. The Egyptians’ houses and the ground where they live will be filled with the mixed swarm. 18 On that day I will perform signs and wonders for the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no mixed swarm is there. Then you will know that I am the Lord whose Memra dwells within the land. 19 I will put redemption between my people and your people. This sign will happen tomorrow.” 20 The Lord did so. A great mixed swarm entered Pharaoh’s palace, his rulers’ houses, and the whole land of Egypt. The land was ruined by the mixed swarm. 21 Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice before the Lord your God in the land of Egypt.” 22 Moses said, “It is not right to do that. The Egyptians’ idols are detestable, and we must take from them to sacrifice before the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the Egyptians’ idols before their eyes, they will certainly stone us. 23 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice before the Lord our God, as he told us.” 24 ⟨Pharaoh⟩ said, “I will let you go to sacrifice before the Lord your God in the wilderness. Only do not go too far away. Pray for me too.” 25 Moses said, “I am leaving your presence, and we will pray before the Lord. He will remove the mixed swarm from Pharaoh, his rulers, and his people tomorrow. Only Pharaoh must not lie again by refusing to let the people go to sacrifice before the Lord.” 26 Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and prayed before the Lord. 27 The Lord did as Moses said, removing the mixed swarm from Pharaoh, his rulers, and the people. Not even one remained. 28 Pharaoh hardened his heart this time too and did not let the people go.

The Plague on the Livestock

1 The Lord told Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him: This is what the Lord, the God of the Jews, says: Let my people go to worship before me. 2 If you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 the plagues of my punishment will be on the livestock in the field: horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep, a very severe plague. 4 The Lord will distinguish the Egyptians’ livestock from Israel’s livestock. Nothing belonging to the sons of Israel will die.” 5 The Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 The Lord did this the following day. All the Egyptians’ livestock died, but not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel died. 7 Pharaoh sent to inquire, and not even one of Israel’s livestock had died. But Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

8 The Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of ash from a furnace, and let Moses throw it toward the heavens before Pharaoh. 9 It will become dust throughout the land of Egypt, and become inflammation breaking out in blisters on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt.” 10 They took the furnace ash and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward the heavens, and it became inflammation breaking out in blisters on people and animals. 11 The sorcerers could not stand before Moses because of the inflammation, for it was on the sorcerers and all the Egyptians. 12 The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken with Moses.

The Plague of Hail

13 The Lord told Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand ready before Pharaoh. Tell him: This is what the Lord, the God of the Jews, says: Let the people go to worship before me. 14 This time I will send all my plagues against your heart, your rulers, and your people, so that you may know there is none like me in all the land. 15 By now I could have sent the plagues of my punishment and destroyed you and your people with pestilence. You would have been wiped from the earth, Pharaoh. 16 I have not kept you alive until now for your good. I have kept you alive until now to show you my mighty strength and have you recount my holy name throughout the land. 17 You still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. 18 At this hour tomorrow I will send down very severe hail, unlike anything in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Send now and gather your livestock and everything you have in the open field. Every person or animal left in the field and not gathered into the house will have hail come down on them, and they will die.” 20 Those among Pharaoh’s rulers who feared before the Lord drove their slaves and livestock into the house. 21 Those who paid no attention to the Lord’s words left their slaves and livestock in the open field. 22 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out ⟨your hand⟩ toward the heavens, so that hail comes throughout the land of Egypt, on people, animals, and every plant in the open field in the land of Egypt.” 23 Moses stretched his staff toward the heavens. The Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire moved through the land. The Lord sent hail down on the land of Egypt. 24 There was severe hail, with fire leaping within the hail, very severe, unlike anything in the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation and kingdom. 25 Throughout the land of Egypt the hail destroyed everything in the open field, people and animals. The hail destroyed every plant in the open field and broke all the trees in the open field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel lived, was there no hail. 27 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous; Pharaoh and his people are guilty. 28 Pray before the Lord to stop the thunder from before the Lord and the hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.” 29 Moses told him, “When I leave the city, I will spread the palms of my hands before the Lord. The thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 As for you and your rulers, I know that formerly you feared before the Lord our God.” 31 The flax and barley were beaten down, for the barley was early and the flax was in bud and had shed its blossom. 32 The wheat and spelt were not beaten down, for they were late. 33 Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and the city, spreading the palms of his hands before the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped, and no rain fell to the ground. 34 Pharaoh saw that the thunder, rain, and hail had stopped, and sinned again. He and his rulers hardened his heart. 35 Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken with Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

1 The Lord told Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and his rulers’ hearts to place these signs among them, 2 so that you may tell your sons and your sons’ sons how I confounded the Egyptians and the signs I placed among them, and you may know that I am the Lord.” 3 Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before the Lord? Let my people go to worship before me. 4 If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 They will cover the land from view, so that you cannot see it. They will eat what survived, what the hail left you, and all the trees growing for you in the open field. 6 They will fill your houses, all your rulers’ houses, and all the Egyptians’ houses, unlike anything your fathers or your fathers’ fathers have seen from the day they were on the earth until now.” He hurried away from Pharaoh’s presence. 7 Pharaoh’s servants told him, “How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the people go to worship before the Lord their God, before you learn that Egypt is destroyed.” 8 He brought Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh and told them, “Go, sacrifice before the Lord your God. But who is going?” 9 Moses said, “We will go with our young men and our old men, our sons and daughters, our sheep and cattle, for we have a festival before the Lord.” 10 He said, “May the Memra of the Lord be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Look, evil is before your faces. 11 That will not happen. The men among you must go now and worship before the Lord, for that is what you wanted.” They were driven from Pharaoh’s presence. 12 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, to come up over the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, everything the hail left.” 13 Moses stretched his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind over the land that whole day and night. Morning came, and the east wind had carried the locusts. 14 The locusts came up over the whole land of Egypt and settled throughout Egypt’s territory in great numbers. There had never been locusts like them before, and there would never be such again. 15 They covered the whole land from view, and the land grew dark. They ate every plant of the land and all the trees’ fruit the hail left. Nothing green remained on a tree or a plant in the open field throughout the Egyptians’ land. 16 Pharaoh hurried to call Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned before the Lord your God and against you. 17 Forgive my sins just this once, and pray before the Lord your God to remove this plague from me too.” 18 He left Pharaoh’s presence and prayed before the Lord. 19 The Lord turned a very strong west wind, which carried the locusts and threw them into the Reed Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in the Egyptians’ territory. 20 The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

The Plague of Darkness

21 The Lord said, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, so that darkness may cover the land of Egypt, darkness that can be felt.” 22 Moses stretched his hand toward the heavens, and thick darkness covered the whole land of Egypt for three days. 23 No one saw his brother or rose from his place for three days. But all the sons of Israel had light where they lived. 24 Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, worship before the Lord. Only your sheep and cattle must remain here; your little ones may go with you.” 25 Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, and we will sacrifice before the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock must go with us too; not one foot’s hoof will be left behind. We must take from them to sacrifice before the Lord our God. We do not know how we must worship before the Lord our God until we enter there.” 27 The Lord hardened his heart, and he refused to let them go. 28 Pharaoh told him, “Leave me. Do not speak any more of those harsh words before me. I would rather die than hear any of your words. Be careful, or my anger will flare against you and I will hand you over to the people who sought your life, and they will kill you.” 29 Moses told him, “You have spoken fittingly and truthfully. While I was still living in Midian I was informed: All the men seeking your life are dead. It was not only after I asked on your behalf before the Lord that I prayed for you, and the plague was held back from you. This plague is the tenth for Pharaoh; it will begin with Pharaoh’s firstborn.” Moses told Pharaoh, “You have spoken fittingly and truthfully. I will never see your face again.”

The Final Plague Is Announced

1 The Lord told Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. After that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you out of here in a great hurry. 2 Speak now in the people’s hearing: each man must ask his neighbor and each woman her neighbor for silver articles and gold articles.” 3 The Lord gave the people favor in the Egyptians’ eyes. Moses too was a very powerful man in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh’s rulers and the people. 4 Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: At midnight my Memra will be revealed in the midst of Egypt. 5 All the firstborn in the land of Egypt will be killed, from Pharaoh’s firstborn, destined to sit on his royal throne, to the firstborn of the female slave grinding behind the mill, and every firstborn of the livestock. 6 A great cry will rise throughout the land of Egypt, unlike anything that has ever happened or will ever be seen again. 7 But no dog will bark against any of the sons of Israel, person or animal, so that you may know the Lord distinguishes the Egyptians from Israel. 8 All these servants of yours will come down to me and greet me, saying, ‘Leave, you and all the people with you.’ After that I will leave.” He left Pharaoh’s presence in fierce anger. 9 The Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that the signs of my wonders may multiply in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel leave his land.

The First Passover

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 “This month, Nisan, will be the first of the months for you, the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole congregation of the sons of Israel: On the tenth day of this month each man must take a lamb for his ancestral household, a lamb for each household. 4 If the household is too small to be counted for the Passover lamb, he and his nearest neighbor must take one together, according to the number of people. Count each person according to what he eats for the lamb. 5 Your lamb must be a year-old male, sound and free of defects. You may take it from the lambs or the young goats. 6 Keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel must slaughter it at twilight. 7 Take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which you eat the Passover. 8 Eat the meat that Passover night, roasted over a fire, with unleavened bread; eat it with bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it lightly roasted or boiled in water. It must be roasted over a fire, its head together with its legs and inner organs. 10 Leave none of it until morning. Burn whatever remains of it until morning in the fire. 11 This is how you must eat it: your belts fastened, your shoes on your feet, and your staffs in your hands. Eat it in a hurry. It is the Passover sacrifice before the Lord. 12 I will pass through the land of Egypt in my Memra on the Passover night and kill every firstborn in the land of Egypt, human and animal. I will carry out different judgments against all the Egyptians’ idols. This is what the Lord says. 13 The blood will be your sign on the houses where they are staying. I will see the blood, pass over, and protect you in my Memra. No destroying death will be among you when I kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. 14 This day will be a good remembrance for you. Celebrate it as a festival before the Lord; celebrate it throughout your generations as a lasting statute.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

15 Eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the very first day remove leaven from your houses, because anyone who eats leavened food from the first day through the seventh will be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you must have a festival and a sacred gathering, ⟨and on the seventh day a festival and a sacred gathering⟩. No work may be done on them. Only what is done for each person’s vital needs may be done for you. 17 Observe the unleavened bread, because on this very day I redeemed your armies and brought them out of the land of Egypt. Observe this day throughout your generations as a lasting statute. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening at twilight, eat unleavened bread until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month. 19 For seven days no leaven may be found inside your houses, because anyone who eats leavened food will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether a foreign resident or a native of the land. 20 Eat nothing leavened. In all your dwellings eat unleavened bread.”

Instructions for the Passover Sacrifice

21 Moses called all the wise men of Israel and told them, “Make your arrangements and take animals from the flock for your families, and slaughter the Passover sacrifice. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood in the basin. Come and put some of the blood in the basin on the lintel and on the two doorposts. None of you may go out the door of his house until morning. 23 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord will pass through to destroy the Egyptians. He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts and pass over. The Memra of the Lord will protect the door of the fathers of the sons of Israel and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to destroy. 24 Keep this command as a statute for yourselves and your sons forever. 25 When you enter the land the Lord will give you, as he said, observe this service. 26 ⟨When your sons ask you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’⟩ 27 You must say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice before the Lord, who passed over and protected the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when he killed the Egyptians and rescued our houses.’” The people bowed down, gave thanks, and praised. 28 The sons of Israel went and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron; that is what they did.

The Death of the Firstborn

29 At midnight the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from Pharaoh’s firstborn, destined to sit on the royal throne, to the firstborn of the captive in prison, and every firstborn of the livestock. 30 Pharaoh rose during the night, he and all his rulers and all the Egyptians. A great cry arose in Egypt, because there was no house there without someone dead. 31 He called Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get up! Leave my people, you and the sons of Israel. Go worship before the Lord, as you said. 32 ⟨Take your flocks and herds too, as you said,⟩ and go. Pray for me too.” 33 The Egyptians pressed the people to hurry and leave the land, saying, “If the sons of Israel stay here even one hour, all the Egyptians will be dead!” 34 The people carried their dough before it had risen, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The sons of Israel did as Moses had told them. They asked the Egyptians for silver articles, gold articles, and clothing. 36 The Lord gave the people favor in the Egyptians’ eyes, and they lent to them. The sons of Israel stripped the Egyptians of their property.

Israel Leaves Egypt

37 The sons of Israel ⟨journeyed⟩ from Pelusium to Sukkoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides the little ones. 38 Many foreigners also went up with them, along with sheep and cattle, a very great number of livestock. 39 They baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes before it had risen, because they had been driven out of Egypt and could not wait. Nor had they prepared provisions for themselves. 40 The sons of Israel’s stay in Egypt lasted four hundred thirty years. 41 At the end of four hundred thirty years, on that very day, all the Lord’s armies were redeemed and came out of the land of Egypt.

The Four Nights of Redemption

42 It is a night kept and appointed for redemption to the name of the Lord, when the sons of Israel were redeemed and brought out of the land of Egypt. Indeed, four nights are written in the Book of Remembrances. The first night was when the Lord was revealed over the world to create it. The world was formless and empty, and darkness covered the surface of the deep. The Memra of the Lord was the light, and it shone. He called it the First Night. The second night was when the Lord was revealed to Abram, a man one hundred years old, and to Sarah his wife, a woman ninety years old, to fulfill what Scripture says: ‘Can Abram, a man one hundred years old, father a child? Can Sarah his wife, a woman ninety years old, give birth?’ Isaac was thirty-seven years old when he was offered on the altar. The heavens bent down and descended, and Isaac saw their perfection. His eyes grew dim because of their perfection. He called it the Second Night. The third night was when the Lord was revealed against the Egyptians at midnight. His hand killed the firstborn of the Egyptians, while his right hand protected the firstborn of Israel, to fulfill what Scripture says: ‘Israel is my firstborn son.’ He called it the Third Night. The fourth night will be when the world reaches its appointed end to be redeemed. The iron yokes will break, and the generations of wickedness will be destroyed. Moses will come up from the midst of the wilderness, ⟨and King Messiah from the midst of Rome⟩. One will lead at the head of the flock, and the other will lead at the head of the flock. His Memra will lead between them both, and I and they will go together. This is the Passover night to the name of the Lord, a night kept and appointed for the redemption of all Israel throughout their generations.

Who May Eat the Passover Sacrifice

43 The Lord told Moses and Aaron, “This is the decree of the Law of the Passover: no gentile may eat it. 44 Every slave a man buys with money must be circumcised; then he will be fit to eat it. 45 My people, sons of Israel, no gentile residing as a hired worker may eat it. 46 It must be eaten in groups. Do not carry any of the meat outside from the house to a group, or from one group to another. Do not break a bone of it. 47 The whole congregation of Israel must keep the Passover. 48 If a resident lives among you and wishes to keep the Passover before the Lord, he must circumcise every male. Then he will be fit to keep it and will be like a native of the land. But no gentile may eat it. 49 One decree of the Law will apply to the nations and to the foreign residents who live among you.” 50 All the sons of Israel ⟨did it⟩; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, that is what they did. 51 On that very day the Lord redeemed the sons of Israel and brought them out of the land of Egypt, according to their armies.

Consecrating the Firstborn

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Set apart to my name every firstborn that opens the womb among the sons of Israel, both human and animal. They belong to my name.”

Remembering the Exodus

3 Moses told the people, “Remember this day on which you were redeemed from the house of slavery and came out of Egypt, because the Lord brought you out of here with a mighty hand. No leavened food may be eaten. 4 Today you are coming out as redeemed people, in the month of Abib. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you, a land producing good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey, observe this service in this month. 6 Eat unleavened bread for seven days, and on the seventh day hold a festival before the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread must be eaten for the seven days. No leavened food may be seen among you, nor may leaven be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 Tell your sons that day, ‘It is because of the commandment of unleavened bread that the Lord won our victories in battle for us when we were redeemed and came out of Egypt.’ 9 They will be signs for you on your arms and a good remembrance on your faces, so that the Law of the Lord may always be on your lips, because with a mighty hand he redeemed you and brought you out of Egypt. 10 Keep the statutes of this Law at their appointed time, year after year.

Redeeming the Firstborn

11 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you must set apart every firstborn that opens the womb to the name of the Lord. Every male that opens an animal’s womb among your livestock will belong to the name of the Lord. 13 Redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb. If you do not redeem it, kill it. Redeem every human firstborn among your sons. 14 When your sons ask tomorrow, ‘What is this?’ tell them, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord redeemed us and brought us out of the house of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to animal firstborn. That is why we offer every male that opens the womb before the Lord, and redeem every firstborn among our sons.’ 16 It will be a sign on your arms and a good remembrance on your faces, because with a mighty hand the Lord redeemed us and brought us out of Egypt.”

The Pillars of Cloud and Fire

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, the Lord did not lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, although it was near, because the Lord said, “The people’s courage might fail when they see battle lines, and they might return to Egypt.” 18 The Lord led the people around by the wilderness road toward the Reed Sea. The sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt as redeemed people, armed with good deeds. 19 Moses took Joseph’s bones with him, because he had solemnly made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “The Lord will surely remember you in his mercy, and you must carry my bones away from here with you.” 20 They journeyed from Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Memra of the Lord led before them during the day in a pillar of cloud to guide them along the road, and at night in a pillar of fiery cloud to give them light, so they could travel day and night. 22 The pillar of cloud never ceased during the day, nor the pillar of fire at night, leading, standing ready, and shining before the people.

Pharaoh Pursues Israel

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before the Taverns of Hirata, between Migdol and the sea, before the idol Zephon. Camp opposite it beside the sea. 3 Pharaoh ⟨will say⟩ about the people of the sons of Israel, ‘They have lost their way. My idol Baal Zephon has blocked the wilderness passes against them.’ 4 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. I will gain glory ⟨through⟩ Pharaoh and all his armies, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” They did so. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his rulers changed their minds about the people. They said, “What have we done, letting Israel go from serving us?” 6 He harnessed his chariots and took fighting men with him. 7 He took six hundred chariots and all the Egyptians’ chariots, with commanders appointed over them all. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the sons of Israel. The sons of Israel had gone out as redeemed people, with heads uncovered. 9 The Egyptians pursued them and caught up with them camped beside the sea—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, his horsemen, and his armies—near the Taverns of Hirata, before the idol Zephon. 10 Pharaoh approached, and the sons of Israel looked up. There were the Egyptians, marching after them! They were terrified, and the sons of Israel prayed before the Lord. 11 They told Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to be killed in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone, so we can serve the Egyptians’? It would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to be killed in the wilderness.” 13 The sons of Israel formed four groups when they stood beside the Reed Sea. One said, “Let us throw ourselves into the sea.” Another said, “Let us return to Egypt.” Another said, “Let us draw up battle lines against them.” Another said, “Let us shout at them and throw them into confusion.” To the group that said, “Let us throw ourselves into the sea,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand ready and see the deliverance the Lord will accomplish for you today.” To the group that said, “Let us return to Egypt,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. As you have seen the Egyptians today, you will never again see them in slavery, forever.” 14 To the group that said, “Let us draw up battle lines against them,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. The Lord himself will win your victories in battle for you.” To the group that said, “Let us shout at them and throw them into confusion,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, be quiet, and give glory, praise, and exaltation to our God.”

Israel Crosses the Sea

15 The Lord told Moses, “How long will you stand praying before me? Your prayer has been heard before me. Besides, the prayer of the sons of Israel came before yours. Tell the sons of Israel to move forward. 16 Raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may enter the sea on dry ground. 17 I am hardening the Egyptians’ hearts, and they will go in after them. I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his armies, his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” 19 The angel of the Lord, who was ready to go before the camps of Israel, moved from in front of them and stood behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the Egyptians’ camps and Israel’s camps. The cloud became darkness and partly light: obscuring darkness for the Egyptians and light for Israel throughout the night. Neither group approached the other for battle all night. 21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night. He made the sea dry ground, and the waters divided. 22 The sons of Israel entered the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued them and went in after them into the sea—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 At morning the Lord looked down in anger on the Egyptians’ camps and hurled burning pitch, fire, and hailstones on them, throwing the Egyptians’ armies into confusion. 25 He loosened the wheels of their chariots, and they dragged them backward. Mules ordinarily pull the wheels and shafts, but the ⟨wheels and chariots⟩ turned and dragged the mules, throwing them into the sea. When the Egyptians saw this marvelous deed, they said to one another, “Let us flee from the people of the sons of Israel! It is the Lord who won their victories in battle for them while they were still in Egypt, and he is about to win their victories in battle again at the Reed Sea.” 26 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters return upon the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and turned the sea back to its former strength at morning. The Egyptians fled toward it, and the Lord left the Egyptians in the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all Pharaoh’s armies that had gone into the sea after them. Not even one of them remained. 29 The sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the sea, with walls of water on their right and their left. 30 The Memra of the Lord redeemed ⟨and delivered⟩ Israel that day from the Egyptians’ hands. Israel saw the Egyptians dead, thrown onto the seashore. 31 Israel saw the mighty hand with which the Lord had acted against Egypt. The people feared before the Lord and believed in the name of the Memra of the Lord and in the prophecy of Moses his servant.

The Song at the Sea

1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song of praise before the Lord and said, “We will give thanks and praise before the Lord, who through his Memra takes vengeance on everyone who exalts himself before him. Horses and their riders exalted themselves and pursued the people of the sons of Israel, so he hurled them down and drowned them in the Reed Sea. 2 The Lord, who is feared in every age, is our strength and the greatness of our praise. He decreed through his Memra and became our redeemer.” The sons of Israel said, “He is our God, and we will praise him, the God of our fathers, and we will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior who wages wars; the Lord is his name. His might matches his name. May his name be blessed through every age. 4 He shot fiery arrows in the sea against Pharaoh’s chariots and his armies. He hurled down the best of his young men, Pharaoh’s warriors, and drowned them in the Reed Sea. 5 The deep covered them. They went down and sank into the watery depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, Lord, is magnificent in power! Your right hand, Lord, shattered Pharaoh, the enemy and adversary. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you destroy your people’s enemies. You send your mighty anger against them and consume them as fire burns straw. 8 At a decree from before you, Lord, the waters became heaps upon heaps. The flowing waters rose in bundles like waterskins. The depths congealed in the middle of the Great Sea. 9 Wicked Pharaoh, the enemy and adversary, said, ‘I will pursue the people of the sons of Israel and overtake them camped on the seashore. I will take many captives from them and plunder a great amount of loot. I will divide the loot among my people who fight the battle. When I have had my fill of them, I will draw my sword, and my right hand will destroy them.’ 10 You blew a wind from before you, Lord, and the sea’s waters covered them. They went down and sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like you among the gods on high, Lord? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises through every age, doing signs and wonders for your people, the house of Israel? 12 The sea and the land disputed together. The sea told the land, ‘Receive your sons.’ The land told the sea, ‘Receive your dead.’ The sea would not receive them, and the land would not swallow them. The land feared the judgment of the great day, afraid that they would be demanded back from it in the world to come. You immediately stretched out your right hand in an oath over the land, Lord, that you would not demand them from it in the world to come. The land opened its mouth and swallowed them. 13 In your mercy you led this people whom you redeemed. In your might you guide them to the dwelling of the house of your holy Shekinah. 14 The peoples heard and trembled. Shaking seized the inhabitants of the land of Philistia. 15 Then the leaders of the Edomites were alarmed. Trembling seized the mighty men of Moab. The hearts of all the inhabitants of Canaan melted within them. 16 Fear and dread of you fall upon them. At the strength of your mighty arm they stand silent as stones, until your people pass over the streams of the Arnon, Lord, until this people whom you redeemed passes over the ford of the Jordan. 17 You will bring them in and give them possession on the mountain of the house of your inheritance, the appointed place, the house of the Shekinah you acquired for yourself, Lord; your sanctuary, Lord, which your two hands completed.” 18 The sons of Israel said, “How fitting the crown of kingship is for you, Lord! When your sons saw your wondrous signs in the sea and your might between the waves, they opened their mouths together at that moment and said, ‘Kingship belongs to the Lord, from before the world and through every age.’” 19 Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen had entered the sea, and the Lord brought the sea’s waters back upon them, while the sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the sea.

Miriam Leads the Women

20 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took tambourines in her hand. All the women went out after her, dancing to the tambourines. 21 Miriam answered them, “Let us give thanks and praise before the Lord, exalted above the exalted and raised above the lofty. Horses and their riders exalted themselves and pursued the people of the sons of Israel, so he hurled them down and buried them in the Reed Sea.”

The Bitter Water Becomes Sweet

22 Moses made Israel journey from the Reed Sea. They went out to the wilderness of Elusa and traveled three days’ journey in the wilderness without finding water. 23 They came to Marah but could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why they called it Marah. 24 The people complained against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 ⟨Moses⟩ prayed before the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. The Memra of the Lord took a word of the Law from it, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There he gave him statutes and legal ordinances, and there he tested him. 26 He said, “If you faithfully listen to the voice of the Memra of the Lord your God, do what is right in his sight, obey his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will bring none of the evil plagues on you that I brought on the Egyptians, because I am the Lord who heals you.” 27 They came to Elim. There were twelve springs of water there, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel, and seventy date palms, corresponding to the seventy ⟨elders⟩ of the Sanhedrin of Israel. They camped there beside the water.

Manna and Quail in the Wilderness

1 They journeyed from Elim, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole community of the congregation of the sons of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The sons of Israel told them, “If only we had died before the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat beside the meat pots and ate our fill of bread! You brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 The Lord told Moses, “I will send bread down from the heavens for you. The people must go out and gather each day’s portion, so that I may test whether they keep the commandments of my Law or not. 5 On the sixth day they must set aside what they bring in; it will be twice the amount they gather each day.” 6 Moses and Aaron told all the sons of Israel, “In the evening you will know that the Lord redeemed you and brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 In the morning you will see the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord. Your complaints have been heard before the Lord. How important are we that you should complain against us?” 8 Moses said, “You will know when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, when your complaints against him are heard before the Lord. How important are we? Your complaints are against the Lord, rather than us.” 9 Moses told Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Offer sacrifice before the Lord, because your complaints have been heard before him.’” 10 As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they turned toward the wilderness, and the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 “The complaints of the sons of Israel have been heard before me. Tell them: ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread. You will know that I am the Lord your God.’” 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a layer of dew lay around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew rose, a fine, flaky substance lay on the surface of the wilderness, fine as frost on the ground. 15 The sons of Israel saw it and said to one another, “What is it?” because they did not know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather from it according to what each person eats, an omer for each head, according to the number of people. Each man must take enough for those in his tent.’” 17 The sons of Israel did so; some gathered more and some less. 18 When they measured it with the omer, whoever had gathered much had nothing extra, and whoever had gathered little lacked nothing. Each had gathered what he could eat. 19 Moses told them, “Let no one leave any of it until morning.” 20 They did not listen to Moses. Some men left some of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. Moses became angry with them. 21 They gathered it every morning, each according to what he could eat. When the sun rose over it, it melted.

Gathering Manna Before the Sabbath

22 On the sixth day they gathered a double portion of bread, two omers for each head. All the congregation’s leaders came and told Moses. 23 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has spoken: ‘Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath before the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning.’” 24 They set it aside until morning, as the Lord had commanded Moses. It did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath before the Lord. Today you will not find it out in the field. 26 Gather it for six days. The seventh day is the Sabbath; there will be none on it.” 27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather it, but found none. 28 The Lord told Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my ordinances? 29 See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath. That is why he gives you a double portion of bread on the sixth day. Everyone must stay in his place; no one may leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 The people rested on the seventh day. 31 The sons of Israel called it manna. It was like white coriander seed, and it tasted like pancakes with honey.

Manna Kept for Future Generations

32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Keep an omerful of manna for your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I redeemed you and brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 Moses told Aaron, “Take a flask, put an omerful of manna in it, and set it aside before the Lord as a testimony, to keep for your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron set it aside before the Testimony to be kept. 35 The sons of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they entered the land where they would live. They ate manna until they entered the borders of the land of Canaan. 36 An omer is one-tenth of three seahs.

Water from the Rock

1 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, traveling in stages according to the decree of the Memra of the Lord. They camped at Rephidim, but the people had no water to drink. 2 The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses told them, “Why do you argue with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” 3 The people were thirsty for water there. They complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our sons, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Moses prayed before the Lord, saying, “What am I to do with this people? A little longer and they will stone me!” 5 The Lord told Moses, “Go ahead of the people and take some of Israel’s wise men with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the river, and go. 6 My Memra will stand ready on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Moses did so in the sight of Israel’s wise men. 7 He called the place His Testing and His Disputes, because the sons of Israel had disputed and put the Lord to the test, saying, “Does the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord really dwell among us or not?”

The Battle Against Amalek

8 The leaders of Amalek came and drew up battle lines against Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses told Joshua, “Choose fighting men for us. Go out and draw up battle lines against the house of Amalek tomorrow. I will stand ready on top of the hill, with the staff by which signs were done before the Lord in my hand.” 10 Joshua did as Moses his master had told him, drawing up battle lines against the house of Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses raised his hands in prayer, the house of Israel prevailed and was victorious. When he stopped holding his hands up in prayer, the house of Amalek prevailed, and they fell by the sword. 12 Moses’ hands were raised in prayer. They took a stone and placed it beneath him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands, one on each side. Moses’ hands were raised in prayer, recalling the faith of the righteous fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and recalling the faith of the righteous mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, until sunset. 13 Joshua destroyed Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 The Lord told Moses, “Write this as a good remembrance in a book and have Joshua hear it: I will completely erase the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens.” 15 Moses built an altar and prayed there in the name of the Memra of the Lord, who had done signs for him. 16 He said, “An oath has gone out from beneath the throne of the Glory of the Lord of all the world: The first king to arise from the tribe of Benjamin will be Saul son of Kish. He will wage war against the house of Amalek and kill kings with rulers. Mordecai and Esther will destroy what remains of them.” The Lord decreed in his Memra that the memory of Amalek would be erased throughout the generations.

Jethro Visits Moses

1 Jethro, the leader of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that the Lord had done for Moses and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had redeemed Israel and brought them out of Egypt. 2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had left her, 3 and her two sons. One was named Gershom, because he said, “I am a foreigner and a resident in a foreign land.” 4 The other was named Eliezer, because “The Memra of the God of my father helped me and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.” 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was staying, where the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord dwelt. 6 He told Moses, “I, Jethro your father-in-law, have come to you, with your wife and her two sons.” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, greeted him, and kissed him. They exchanged greetings and entered the tent. 8 Moses recounted to his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the troubles they had encountered on the road, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro was delighted with all the good the Lord had done for Israel in delivering them from the Egyptians’ hands. 10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who delivered you from the Egyptians’ hands and from Pharaoh’s hands, who rescued the people from beneath the Egyptians’ yoke of slavery. 11 Now I know, and it is clear to me, that the Lord is mightier than the gods and Lord above all lords. The very thing the Egyptians planned against Israel, throwing their sons into the river, was how the Lord took vengeance on them. The Lord decreed in his Memra and buried their chariots in the Reed Sea.” 12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought burnt offerings and sacrifices of holy things to the name of the Lord. Aaron and all Israel’s wise men came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before the Lord.

Jethro Advises Moses to Appoint Judges

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people. The people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people and said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses told his father-in-law, “The people come to me to seek instruction from before the Lord. 16 When they have a disputed case, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known to them the Lord’s statutes and the decrees of the Law.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law told him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people with you will wear yourselves out. The task is too hard for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me. I will give you advice, and the Lord will be with you. You must seek instruction from before the Lord for the people and bring their matters before the Lord. 20 Explain the statutes and the decrees of the Law to them. Make known to them the way they must follow and what they must do. 21 Choose capable men from all the people, men who fear before the Lord, trustworthy men who hate wealth unjustly gained. Appoint them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They will judge the people at all times. They must bring every major case to you, but judge every minor case themselves. This will lighten your burden, and they will carry it with you. 23 If you do this, and the Lord commands you, you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their places 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, leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged the people at all times. They brought the difficult cases to Moses and judged the minor cases themselves. 27 Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land.

Israel at Mount Sinai

1 In the third month after the sons of Israel were redeemed and came out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They journeyed from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai. They camped in the wilderness, and Israel faced the mountain there. 3 Moses went up to seek instruction from before the Lord. The Word of the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Tell the house of Jacob this, and declare it to the tribe of the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen all that I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on the clouds of the Glory of my Shekinah, on the wings of swift eagles, and brought you near to the instruction of the Law. 5 Now, if you faithfully listen to the voice of my Memra and keep my covenant, you will be a beloved people to my name, a treasured possession from among all the nations, because all the earth is mine. 6 You will be kings and priests to my name, and a holy nation.’ These are the words you must speak to the sons of Israel.” 7 Moses came and called the people’s wise men. He set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together with a whole heart and said, “We will do everything the Lord has spoken.” Moses brought the people’s words back in prayer before the Lord. 9 The Lord told Moses, “My Memra will be revealed to you in the mighty cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may always believe in your prophecy, Moses my servant.” Moses related the people’s words before the Lord. 10 The Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready for the third day, because on the third day the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord will be revealed on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. 12 Set boundaries around the people and say, ‘Be careful not to go up the mountain or approach its lower slopes. Anyone who approaches the mountain must be killed. 13 No human hand may approach it, because he must be stoned or have fiery arrows shot into him. Neither animal nor human may live.’ When the trumpet sounds, Moses and Aaron are permitted to go up the mountain.” 14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 He told the people, “Be ready for three days. No man may approach his wife for sexual relations.”

The Glory of the Shekinah Is Revealed at Sinai

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunder and lightning and a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet. All the people in the camp trembled. 17 Moses led the people out of the camp to meet the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord. They stood ready at the foot of the mountain. 18 All Mount Sinai smoked, because the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed on it in fire. Its smoke rose like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 The trumpet’s sound grew louder and louder. Moses spoke in a pleasant voice, and an answer came to him from before the Lord in thunder. 20 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed on Mount Sinai, on the mountaintop. The Memra of the Lord called Moses from the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 The Lord told Moses, “Go down and warn the people against pressing forward before the Lord to see, or great crowds of them will fall. 22 The priests too, who stand and serve before the Lord, must sanctify themselves, so that anger from before the Lord does not fall on them.” 23 ⟨Moses told the Lord⟩, “The people cannot go up Mount Sinai, because you warned us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and sanctify it.’” 24 The Lord told him, “Go down, then bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not press forward to come up before the Lord, or anger will fall on them.” 25 Moses went down from the mountain to the people and told them, “Come near and receive the ten words.”

The Ten Commandments

1 The Lord spoke all the praise of these words, saying: 2 The first word came out of the mouth of the Holy One, may his name be blessed, like shooting stars and lightning, like torches of fire, a fiery torch to the right and a fiery torch to the left. It flew and swiftly spread its wings in the air of the heavens and returned. All Israel saw it and was afraid. It returned and was engraved on the two tablets of the covenant, saying, “My people, sons ⟨…⟩.” It returned and hovered over the camps of Israel, then returned and was engraved on the tablets of the covenant. All Israel saw it. Then it cried out, “My people, sons of Israel, I am the Lord your God, who redeemed you and brought you as redeemed people out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.” 3 The second word, when it came out of the mouth of the Holy One, may his name be blessed, was like shooting stars and lightning, like torches of fire, a fiery torch to the right and a torch of flame to the left. It flew and swiftly spread its wings in the air of the heavens and returned. All Israel saw it and was afraid. It returned and was engraved on the two tablets of the covenant. All Israel saw it, and this is what it cried out and said: “My people, sons of Israel, you must have no other God besides me. 4 Do not make yourselves ⟨an image or a figure⟩, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the sea beneath the earth. 5 Do not bow down to them or worship before them, because I am the Lord your God, a jealous God who takes vengeance, who zealously takes vengeance on the wicked, on rebellious sons to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. When the sons continue sinning after their fathers, I call them those who hate me.⁠a 6 But I keep mercy and goodness for thousands of generations, for the righteous who love him and for those who keep my commandments. 7 My people, sons of Israel, none of you may use the name of the Lord his God for nothing, because on the day of the great judgment the Lord will not acquit anyone who uses the name of the Lord his God for nothing. 8 My people, sons of Israel, remember the Sabbath day and sanctify it. 9 Work for six days and do all your work. 10 The seventh day is rest and quiet before the Lord your God. Do no work, you, your sons, your daughters, your male slaves, your female slaves, your animals, or your foreign residents in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and everything in them, and on the seventh day there was rest and quiet before him. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. 12 My people, sons of Israel, each of you must take care to honor his father and his mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you. 13 My people, sons of Israel, do not be murderers, companions of murderers, or partners with murderers. No murderous people may be seen in the congregation of Israel, so that your sons do not come after you and also learn to be murderous people, because the sins of murderers bring the sword upon the world. My people, sons of Israel, do not be adulterers, companions of adulterers, or partners with adulterers. No adulterous people may be seen in the congregation of Israel, so that your sons do not come after you and also learn to be adulterous people, because the sins of adulterers bring pestilence upon the world. My people, sons of Israel, do not be thieves, companions of thieves, or partners with thieves. No thieving people may be seen in the congregation of Israel, so that your sons do not come after you and also learn to be thieving people, because the sins of thieves bring famine upon the world. My people, sons of Israel, do not be false witnesses, companions of false witnesses, or partners with false witnesses. No people who testify falsely may be seen in the congregation of Israel, so that your sons do not come after you and also learn to be people who testify falsely, because the sins of false witnesses cause wild animals to leave human beings without their sons. 14 My people, sons of Israel, do not be people who crave what belongs to others, companions of such people, or partners with them. No such people may be seen in the congregation of Israel, so that your sons do not come after you and also learn to crave what belongs to others. None of you may crave his neighbor’s house, his neighbor’s wife, his male slave, his female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything belonging to his neighbor, because the sins of those who crave others’ possessions stir up ruling powers against human beings.”

The People Ask Moses to Speak

15 All the people saw the thunder, the torches, the trumpet’s sound, and the smoking mountain. The people saw and trembled and stood far away. 16 They told Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen. But do not let speech come to us from before the Lord, or we will die.” 17 Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord has been revealed to you to test you, and so that fear of the Lord may be on your faces and you may not sin.” 18 The people stood far away, while Moses approached the cloud where the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord dwelt.

Instructions About Altars

19 The Lord told Moses, “Tell the sons of Israel this: ‘You have seen that I spoke with you from the heavens. 20 Do not make idols of silver before me, and do not make yourselves idols of gold. 21 Build an altar fixed on the earth to my name, and offer on it your burnt offerings, your sacrifices of holy things, your sheep, and your cattle. In every place where you remember my name in prayer, I will be revealed to you in my Memra and bless you. 22 If you build a stone altar to my name, do not build it of cut stones, because if you pass iron, from which swords are made, over them, you defile them. 23 You priests, sons of Aaron, who stand and serve at my altar, must not go up steps onto my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed upon it.’”

Hebrew Slaves

1 “These are the judgments you must set before them: 2 If you buy a Hebrew slave, he must serve before you for six years. In the seventh year, send him away free without payment. 3 If he comes in alone, he must leave alone. If he has a wife, his wife must leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her sons belong to her master, and he must leave alone. 5 But if the slave clearly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my sons; I will not go free,’ 6 his master must bring him to the judges and bring him to the door or the doorposts. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will be his slave, serving forever. 7 If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she must not be released according to the laws governing male slaves. 8 If she displeases her master, who has not designated her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no power to sell her to a gentile man, because he has surrendered his authority over her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he must treat her according to the legal procedure for daughters. 10 If he takes another wife for himself, he must not withhold her food, her clothing, or marital relations with her. 11 If he does not provide these three things for her, he must send her away free without payment, without money.

Violence and Compensation

12 Whoever strikes a man and kills him must be put to death. 13 If he did not intend it, but from before the Lord the offense came about through his hands, I will appoint a place for you, a city of refuge where you can flee. 14 ⟨But if⟩ a man ⟨plans⟩ to kill another by ambush, even if he is the high priest standing and serving at my altar, take him from there and kill him. 15 Whoever strikes his father or mother must be put to death. 16 Whoever kidnaps a person, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession, must be put to death. 17 ⟨Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death⟩. 18 If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and he does not die but is confined to a sickbed, 19 if he gets up and walks in the marketplace on his crutch, the one who struck him will be cleared. He must only pay for the man’s lost work and the fee of the doctor who heals him. 20 If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, vengeance must be taken against him. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, vengeance must not be taken against him, because the slave was bought with his money. 22 If men fight and trample a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry, but there is no further injury, the offender must pay the fine her husband imposes, according to the judges. 23 But if there is injury, he must give a life as compensation for a life, 24 an eye as compensation for an eye, a tooth as compensation for a tooth, a hand as compensation for a hand, a foot as compensation for a foot, 25 a burn as compensation for a burn, a wound as compensation for a wound, a scar as compensation for a scar. 26 If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must set the slave free because of the eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must set the slave free because of the tooth.

Injuries Caused by Animals

28 If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. The ox’s owner will be cleared. 29 But if the ox has been in the habit of goring, and its owner was warned but did not guard it, and a man or woman is killed, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death. 30 If a monetary fine is imposed on him, he must pay whatever is imposed to redeem his life. 31 If it gores a male son of the sons of Israel or a female daughter of the sons of Israel, the same legal procedure must be applied. 32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, thirty silver selas must be given to the slave’s master, and the ox must be stoned. 33 If a man opens or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey falls into it, 34 the pit’s owner must make restitution. He must repay the animal’s owner in money, and the dead animal’s ⟨proceeds⟩ will belong to him. 35 If one man’s ox gores another’s ox and it dies, they must sell the living ox and divide its price. They must also divide the proceeds from the dead animal. 36 But if it was known that the ox had been in the habit of goring, and its owner did not guard it, he must repay an ox for an ox, and the proceeds from the dead animal will belong to him. 37 If someone steals an ox or lamb and slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the lamb.

Theft and Compensation

1 “If a thief is found breaking in and is struck and dies, there is no guilt for shedding innocent blood on his account. 2 If the sun has risen over him, there is guilt for shedding innocent blood on his account. He must make full restitution. If he has nothing, he must be sold for his theft. 3 If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether an ox, donkey, or lamb, he must repay double. 4 If a man sets fire to a field or vineyard and lets the fire spread into another’s field, he must repay with the best of his field and the best of the vineyard.⁠a 5 If fire breaks out, catches thorns, and consumes stacked grain, standing grain, or a field, the one who started the fire must make full restitution.

Property Entrusted to Others

6 If a man gives his neighbor money or articles to keep and they are stolen from the man’s house, the thief must repay double if he is found. 7 If the thief is not found, the householder must approach the judges to swear that he has not taken his neighbor’s property. 8 In every sinful dispute, whether about an ox, donkey, lamb, garment, or anything lost that someone claims as his own, both parties’ statements must come before the judges. The one the judges find guilty must repay his neighbor double. 9 If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, ox, lamb, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is injured, or is carried away without anyone seeing it, 10 there must be an oath of the Lord between the two that he has not taken his neighbor’s property. Its owner must accept the oath, and he need not pay restitution. 11 But if it is stolen from him, he must repay its owner. 12 If it is torn to pieces, they must bring witnesses. He need not pay restitution for the dead animal. 13 If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he must make full restitution. 14 If its owner is with it, he need not make restitution. If it was rented, it is received for the rental fee.

Marriage and Forbidden Acts

15 If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price for her and take her as his wife. 16 If her father firmly refuses to give her to him, he must still weigh out money according to the law of a virgin’s bride-price. 17 My people, sons of Israel, do not let any sorcerer or sorceress live. 18 Whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death. 19 Whoever sacrifices before other idols, except before the Lord alone, must be destroyed.

Protecting Foreigners, Widows, and Orphans

20 Do not mistreat or oppress the sojourner, because you lived as residents in the land of Egypt. 21 My people, sons of Israel, do not afflict any widow or orphans. 22 If you afflict them and one cries out before me against you, I will hear his prayer, for I am gracious and merciful. 23 Take care that my anger does not grow fierce and I kill you with the sword, making your wives widows and your sons orphans.

Lending to the Poor

24 If you lend money to my people, to the poor person among you, do not act as a harsh creditor toward him or charge him interest or an additional amount on the loan. 25 If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, return it to him before sunset, 26 for it is his only covering, the garment for the skin of his body. What will he sleep in? If he cries out before me against you, I will hear his prayer, for I am gracious and merciful.

Offerings and Respect for Authority

27 My people, sons of Israel, do not despise your judges or curse the ruler among your people. 28 Do not delay gathering your tithes and priestly contribution. Consecrate your firstborn male sons to my Name. 29 Do the same with your cattle and sheep. For seven days the young animal must be reared behind its mother; on the eighth day they must set it apart to my Name. 30 You must be a people consecrated to my Name. Do not eat meat torn by a wild animal, killed out in the field. Throw it to a dog, or throw it to a gentile stranger, who is compared to a dog.⁠b

Honesty and Justice

1 “Do not accept false testimony. Do not join hands with a sinner to serve as his false witness. 2 My people, sons of Israel, do not follow the majority to do evil, but rather to do good. None of you should hold back from pleading in his neighbor’s favor in court. ⟨Do not⟩ say in your hearts, ‘Justice follows the majority.’ Do not follow the majority to do evil. Do not hold back from speaking what is in your heart about your neighbor in court, so that you do not go astray and say, ‘Perfect justice follows the majority.’ 3 My people, sons of Israel, do not favor a poor person found guilty in court, because there must be no favoritism in judgment. 4 If you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering loose, return it to him. 5 If you see your enemy’s donkey lying under its load and are inclined to refuse to unload it with him, put aside everything in your heart against your neighbor. Help him unload it, and help him load it again. 6 Do not distort the judgment due the needy in court. 7 Stay away from false statements, and do not put anyone innocent in court to death, because the guilty will not be cleared before me. 8 Do not accept bribes, because a bribe blinds the eyes of those who take it and unsettles the words of just judgment in court. 9 Do not oppress the sojourner, because you know the sojourner’s soul, since you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Sabbath Rest and the Seventh Year

10 For six years sow your land and gather its produce. 11 In the seventh year leave it fallow and make it freely available so the poor of your people may eat. The wild animals will eat what remains. Do the same with your vineyards and olive groves. 12 Work for six days, and rest on the seventh, so your ox and donkey may rest, and the son of your Jewish female slave and the sojourner may rest. 13 Pay attention to everything I have told you. Do not mention the name of other idols or let it be heard from your mouths.

The Three Annual Festivals

14 Celebrate a festival before me three times a year. 15 Observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Eat unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because in it you came out of Egypt as redeemed people. Do not appear before me empty-handed. 16 Observe the harvest festival, the first produce of your work, what you bring out and sow in the field, and the festival of ingathering at the year’s end, when you gather the produce of your work from the field. 17 Three times every year all your males must appear seeking instruction before the Lord, Master of all ages. 18 Do not sacrifice the blood of my holy sacrifice with leavened bread, and do not leave the fat of my festival overnight until morning. 19 Bring the first of your first produce to the sanctuary of the Lord your God. My people, sons of Israel, do not boil or eat meat mixed with milk, so that my anger does not flare against you and I boil your bundled grain, grain and straw mixed together.

The Journey to the Promised Land

20 I am sending an angel of mercy before you to guard you in the land and bring you to the place I have prepared. 21 Pay attention before him and listen to my voice. Do not rebel against his words, because my holy Name is invoked over him. He will not forgive or pardon your sins, because my holy Name is invoked over him. 22 But if you listen closely to the voice of my Memra and do everything it says, I will hate those who hate you and oppress those who oppress you. 23 My angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will destroy them. 24 Do not bow down to their idols, worship before them, or imitate their deeds. You must utterly demolish them and smash their pillars. 25 Worship before the Lord your God. He will bless your bread and water and remove evil plagues from among you. 26 There will be no childless or barren woman in your land. You will live out all your days in peace. 27 I will send my terror before you and throw every people into confusion as you enter among them. I will set all your enemies before you with broken necks. 28 I will send hornets before you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites before you. 29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year, so the land does not become deserted and wild animals multiply against you. 30 I will drive them out before you little by little until you multiply and possess the land. 31 I will set your boundaries from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Great River. I will deliver all the land’s inhabitants into your hands and drive them out before you. 32 Do not make a covenant with them or their idols. 33 They must not live in your land, so they do not make you guilty before me. If you worship before their idols, they will become a stumbling block to you.

The Covenant Is Confirmed

1 He said to Moses, “Go up to seek instruction from before the Lord, you, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy sages of Israel. Pray from a distance. 2 Moses alone may approach before the Lord. The others must not approach, and the people must not go up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the Lord’s words and all the legal procedures. The people answered with one voice, saying, “We will do everything the Lord has spoken.” 4 Moses wrote down all the Lord’s words. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 5 He sent the young men of the sons of Israel, who arranged burnt offerings and offered cattle as sacrifices of sacred offerings before the Lord. 6 Moses took half the blood and put it in a bowl, and sprinkled half the blood on top of the altar. 7 He took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the people’s hearing. They said, “We will do and obey everything the Lord has spoken.” 8 Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant the Lord has established with you concerning all these words.”

Moses and the Elders on the Mountain

9 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy sages of Israel went up. 10 They saw the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord. Beneath the footstool of his feet was something like sapphire brickwork, like the appearance of the heavens when clear of clouds. 11 He did not stretch out his hand against the young men of the sons of Israel. They saw the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord and were delighted with their accepted sacrifices as if they were eating and drinking.

Moses Enters the Cloud

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there. I will give you the stone tablets and the Law and the Covenant I have written to instruct them.” 13 Moses and Joshua, who served him, got up. Moses went up the mountain where the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord had been revealed. 14 He told the sages, “Stay and wait for me here until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Anyone with a legal dispute may approach them.” 15 Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 The appearance of the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was like consuming fire, destructive fire on the mountain’s summit, in the sight of the sons of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up the mountain. Moses remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Offerings for the Sanctuary

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak with the sons of Israel, so that they set aside contributions to my Name. Receive contributions from everyone whose heart moves him to give. 3 This is the contribution you must receive from them: gold, silver, bronze, 4 blue, purple, and precious crimson material, fine linen, and goats’ hair, 5 reddened ram skins, sasgewan skins, and acacia wood, 6 oil for lighting, spices for anointing oil and fragrant incense, 7 precious stones and stones to be set in the ephod and breastpiece. 8 They must build a sanctuary to my Name, and I will make the Glory of my Shekinah dwell among them.⁠a 9 ⟨According to⟩ everything I show you about the design of the tabernacle and the design of all its furnishings, that is how you must make it.

The Ark and Its Cover

10 They must make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and measuring a cubit and a half high. 11 Overlay it with pure gold, inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four corners, two rings on one side and two on the other. 13 Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark with them. 15 The poles must stay in the ark’s rings; do not remove them. 16 Put the testimony I give you inside the ark. 17 Make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 Make two gold cherubim, hammered out at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at this end, here, and the other cherub at that end, there. Make the cherubim as one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 20 The cherubim must spread their wings upward, shading the mercy seat with their wings. Their faces must turn toward one another, with the cherubim’s faces toward the mercy seat. 21 Put the mercy seat on the ark ⟨above, and inside the ark⟩ put the testimony I give you. 22 I will appoint my Memra to meet you there. From above the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony, between the two cherubim, I will speak with you about everything I command you concerning the sons of Israel.

The Table

23 Make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide, and measuring a cubit and a half high. 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25 Make a border a handbreadth wide around it and a gold molding around its border. 26 Make four gold rings for it and put them at the four corners by its four legs. 27 The rings must be opposite the border as places for the poles used to carry the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood ⟨and overlay⟩ them with gold to carry the table with them. 29 Make its bowls, dishes, flagons, and libation jars used for service. Make them of pure gold. 30 Put the arrangement of the bread of the Presence on the table before him at all times.

The Gold Lampstand

31 Make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand, its base, and its shaft must be hammered work. Its cups, its bulbs, and its lilies must be one piece with it. 32 Six branches must extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three from the other. 33 Three decorated cups, a bulb, and a lily must be on each branch. Do the same for the six branches extending from the lampstand. 34 On the lampstand there must be four decorated cups, its bulbs, and its lilies, 35 with a bulb of one piece with it beneath two branches and a bulb of one piece with it beneath two branches, for the six branches extending from the lampstand. 36 Their bulbs and branches must be one piece with it, all of it hammered from one piece of pure gold. 37 Make its seven lamps and arrange the lampstand’s lamps to shine in front of it. 38 Make its snuffers and trays of pure gold. 39 Make it and all these utensils from a centenarium of pure gold. 40 Take care to make them according to the designs you see on the mountain.

The Tabernacle’s Curtains and Coverings

1 “Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine linen made from twisted threads, blue, purple, and precious crimson material. Make them with figures, an artist’s work. 2 Each curtain must be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide by the ordinary cubit. All the curtains must have the same measurements. 3 Join five curtains to one another, ⟨and join the other five curtains to one another⟩. 4 Make blue loops along the edge of the outer curtain at the join, and do the same along the outer curtain’s edge at the second join. 5 Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain at the second join. The loops must face one another. 6 Make fifty gold hooks and join the curtains to one another with the hooks, so the tent forms one whole. 7 Make curtains of goats’ hair to spread over the tabernacle. Make eleven curtains. 8 Each curtain must be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide by the ordinary cubit. All eleven curtains must have the same measurements. 9 Join five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tabernacle. 10 Make fifty loops along the edge of the outer curtain at the join, and make fifty loops along the curtain’s edge at the second join. 11 Make fifty bronze hooks, insert them into the loops, and join the tent together so it forms one whole. 12 Let the extra part hanging from the tabernacle’s curtains, the half curtain that remains, hang over the rear of the tabernacle toward the sea. 13 The extra cubit in the length of the tabernacle’s curtains on either side must hang down over the tabernacle’s sides, here and there, to cover it. 14 Make a covering for the tabernacle from reddened ram skins, and a covering of sasgewan skins above it.

The Tabernacle’s Boards and Bars

15 Make upright planks of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 16 Each plank must be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 17 Each plank must have two tenons fitting opposite one another. Make all the tabernacle’s planks this way. 18 Make twenty planks for the tabernacle’s south side, toward the south. 19 Make forty silver sockets under the twenty planks: two sockets under the twenty planks, two sockets under one plank for its two tenons, and two sockets under another plank for its two tenons. 20 For the tabernacle’s second side, on the north, make twenty planks, 21 with their forty silver sockets, two sockets under one plank and two under another. 22 Make six planks for the rear of the tabernacle, toward the west. 23 Make two planks for the tabernacle’s rear corners. 24 They must correspond at the bottom and correspond at the top within a single ring. Do the same with both, forming two sides. 25 There will be eight planks with their sixteen silver sockets, two sockets under one plank and two under another. 26 Make acacia-wood bars, ⟨five⟩ for the planks on one side of the tabernacle, 27 five bars for the planks on the tabernacle’s second side, and five bars for the planks at the rear of the tabernacle toward the west. 28 The second bar, in the middle of the planks, must extend from one end to the other. 29 Overlay the planks with gold and make gold rings for them as places for the bars. Overlay the bars with gold. 30 Set up the tabernacle according to the legal arrangement you saw on the mountain.

The Veil and Entrance Curtain

31 Make a veil of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. An artist must make it with figures. 32 Hang it on four acacia pillars overlaid with gold, with gold clasps on four silver sockets. 33 Hang the veil beneath the hooks and bring the ark of the testimony inside the veil. The veil will divide the holy place from the Holy of Holies for you. 34 Put the ⟨mercy seat⟩ on the ark of the testimony inside the Holy of Holies. 35 Place the table outside the veil and the lampstand opposite the table on the tabernacle’s south side. Put the table on the north, along the north side. 36 Make a screen for the tent’s entrance of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads, the work of an embroiderer. 37 Make five acacia pillars for the screen and overlay them with gold. Their clasps must be gold. Cast five bronze sockets for them.

The Bronze Altar

1 “Make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide. The altar must be square, measuring three cubits high. 2 Make horns on its four corners from its height. Its horns must be one piece with it. Overlay it with bronze. 3 Make pots for clearing its ashes, shovels, sprinkling basins, forks, and trays. Make all its utensils of bronze. 4 Make a bronze grating like a net and put four bronze rings on the net’s four corners. 5 Put it beneath the altar’s ledge, underneath, so the net reaches halfway up the altar. 6 Make acacia-wood poles for the altar and overlay them with bronze. 7 Insert the poles into the rings, with the poles on both sides of the altar, to carry it. 8 Make it hollow with planks. They must make it as ⟨I showed⟩ you on the mountain.

The Tabernacle’s Court

9 Make the tabernacle’s courtyard on the south side, toward the south, with hangings of fine linen made from twisted threads a hundred cubits long by the ordinary cubit along one side. 10 There must be twenty pillars and twenty bronze sockets, with silver clasps and fastenings for the pillars. 11 Likewise, along the north side there must be hangings a hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and twenty bronze sockets. The pillars’ clasps and fastenings must be silver. 12 Along the courtyard’s western width there must be fifty cubits of hangings, with ten pillars and ten sockets. 13 The courtyard’s eastern width, toward the east, must be fifty cubits. 14 On one side there must be fifteen cubits of hangings, with three pillars and three sockets. 15 On the other side there must be fifteen hangings, with three pillars and three sockets. 16 For the courtyard’s entrance there must be a twenty-cubit screen of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads, the work of an embroiderer, with four pillars and four sockets. 17 All the courtyard’s pillars must have silver fastenings, silver clasps, and bronze sockets. 18 The courtyard must be a hundred cubits long by the ordinary cubit, fifty by fifty wide, and measuring five cubits high, with fine linen made from twisted threads and bronze sockets. 19 All the tabernacle’s utensils for every service, all its pegs, and all the courtyard’s pegs must be bronze.

Oil for the Lamps

20 Command the sons of Israel to take and bring you pure oil from crushed olives for lighting, to keep the lamps arranged continually. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil beside the testimony, Aaron and his sons must keep it in order before the Lord from evening until morning. This is a perpetual statute for their generations from the sons of Israel.

The Priestly Garments

1 “Bring your brother Aaron and his sons with him from among the sons of Israel to serve before him in the high priesthood: Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. 2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and praise. 3 Speak to everyone whose heart is wise and whom I have perfected with a spirit of wisdom. They must make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him to serve before him in the high priesthood. 4 These are the garments they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a knitted tunic, turbans, and sashes. They must make sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons to serve before him in the high priesthood. 5 They must receive gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen.

The Ephod

6 They must make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads, the work of an artist. 7 It must have two shoulder pieces joined at its two ends, so it is joined together. 8 The ephod’s sash upon it must be made with the same workmanship, as one piece with it: gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. 9 Take two precious stones and inscribe the names of the sons of Israel on them, 10 six of their names on one stone and the remaining six names on the second stone, according to their family lines. 11 The stone must be an artist’s work, inscribed and engraved. Inscribe the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel, and mount them in gold settings. 12 Put the two stones on the ephod’s shoulder pieces as stones of favorable remembrance for the sons of Israel. Aaron will receive their names before the Lord on his two shoulder pieces as a favorable remembrance. 13 Make gold settings, 14 and two chains of pure gold, braided like cords. Put the braided chains into the settings.

The Breastpiece

15 Make the breastpiece of judgment as an artist’s work, like the workmanship of the ephod. Make it of gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. 16 It must be square and doubled, a handbreadth long and a handbreadth wide. 17 Fill it with settings of stones, four rows of precious stones. The first row must be carnelian, topaz, and carbuncle: one row. The names of three tribes must be clearly written on them: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. 18 The second row must be chalcedony, sapphire, and calf’s eye. The names of three tribes must be clearly written on them: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 19 The third row must be jacinth, beryl, and emerald. The names of three tribes must be clearly written on them: Dan, Naphtali, and Gad. 20 The fourth row must be a stone the color of the Great Sea, bdellium, and pearl. The names of three tribes must be clearly written on them: Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. They must be mounted in gold ⟨in their settings⟩. 21 ⟨The stones must be⟩ twelve, corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel. They must be inscribed and engraved, ⟨each one⟩ with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 Make braided chains of pure gold like cords for the breastpiece. 23 Make two gold rings for the breastpiece and put the two rings on the breastpiece’s two ends. 24 Put the two gold braids through the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 25 Put the two ends of the two braids in the two settings, and put them on the front of the ephod’s shoulder pieces. 26 Make two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, along the inner edge facing the ephod. 27 Make two gold rings and put them on the ephod’s two shoulder pieces, beneath and in front, opposite its join above the ephod’s sash. 28 Spread out the breastpiece by its rings to the ephod’s ring with a blue cord, so it lies over the ephod’s sash and does not move away from the ephod. 29 Aaron will carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the sanctuary, as a favorable remembrance before the Lord continually. 30 Put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so they rest over the heart ⟨of Aaron when he enters before the Lord⟩. Aaron will carry the legal judgments of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

The Robe

31 Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. 32 It must have an opening for the head in the middle, with a woven border around the opening, like the opening of a coat of mail. It must ⟨not⟩ be torn. 33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and precious crimson material around its lower hem, with gold bells between them all around. 34 Gold bells and a pomegranate, gold bells and a pomegranate must go around the robe’s lower hem. 35 Aaron must wear it when he serves. Its sound must be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he comes out, so he does not die.

The Gold Plate and Other Garments

36 Make a plate of pure gold and inscribe and engrave on it: ‘Holy to the Name of the Lord.’ 37 Put it on a blue cord so it rests on the turban, at the front of the turban. 38 It must rest on Aaron’s forehead. Aaron will bear the sins concerning the sacred offerings the sons of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It must be on his forehead continually, so they receive favor before the Lord. 39 Knit a tunic of fine linen, make turbans of fine linen, and make a sash, the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics for Aaron’s sons, and make sashes and caps for them, for glory and praise. 41 Dress your brother Aaron and his sons together in these garments. Anoint them, complete the offering of their hands, and consecrate them to serve before him in the high priesthood. 42 Make fine-linen undergarments for them to cover their naked flesh, reaching from the waist of their loins to their thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them when they enter the tent of meeting or approach the top of the altar to serve inside the sanctuary, so they do not incur guilt and die. This is a perpetual statute for them and their sons after them.

Consecrating Aaron and His Sons

1 “This is what you must do to consecrate them to serve before him in the high priesthood: take one young bull and two rams, sound and without blemish, 2 unleavened bread, unleavened cakes soaked in oil, and unleavened wafers brushed with oil. Make them from fine wheat flour. 3 Put them ⟨in a basket and bring them⟩ in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams. 4 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and sanctify them with water. 5 Take the garments and dress Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece. Secure it on him with the ephod’s sash. 6 Put the turban on his head and put the sanctuary’s crown on the turban. 7 Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. 8 Bring his sons forward and dress them in tunics. 9 Tie sashes on Aaron and his sons and put ⟨caps⟩ on them. The priesthood ⟨will belong to them⟩ as a perpetual statute. Complete the offering of Aaron’s hands and the offering of his sons’ hands. 10 Bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the bull’s head. 11 Slaughter the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of its blood and put it on the altar’s horn with your finger. Pour out all the remaining blood at the altar’s base. 13 Take all the fat covering the entrails, what remains of the liver’s lobes, the two kidneys, and the fat on them, and arrange them on the altar. 14 Burn the bull’s meat, hide, and dung in a fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering. 15 Take one ram, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the ram’s head. 16 Slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it all around the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces, wash its entrails and legs, and put them on its pieces and head. 18 Arrange the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Name of the Lord for a pleasing aroma, an offering before the Lord. 19 Take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the ⟨ram’s⟩ head. 20 Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron’s ear and the tips of his sons’ right ears, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the blood all around the altar. 21 Take some of the blood on the altar and some anointing oil and sprinkle Aaron and his garments, his sons and their garments with him. He and his garments, his sons and their garments with him, will be consecrated. 22 Take from the ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, what remains of the liver’s lobes, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh, because it is a ram of ordination. 23 Take one loaf of bread, one bread cake soaked in oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread before the Lord. 24 Put all these on the palms ⟨of Aaron’s hands and the palms⟩ of his sons’ hands and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Receive them from their hands and arrange them on the altar over the burnt offering as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. It is an offering before the Lord. 26 Take the breast of Aaron’s ram of ordination and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord. It will be your portion. 27 Consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the reserved offering, which was waved or set aside from the ram of ordination belonging to Aaron and his sons. 28 It will belong to Aaron and his sons as a perpetual statute from the sons of Israel, because it is a reserved offering. There will be a reserved offering from the sons of Israel, from your sacrifices of sacred offerings, your reserved offering to the Name of the Lord. 29 Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his sons after him, for his sons to be anointed in them and to complete the offering of their hands in them. 30 The priest who succeeds him must wear them for seven days when entering the tent of meeting to serve inside the sanctuary. 31 Take the ram of ordination and boil its meat in a holy place. 32 Aaron and his sons must eat the ram’s meat and the bread in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33 They must eat the things with which atonement was made to complete the offering of their hands and consecrate them. An unconsecrated person must not eat them, because they are holy. 34 If any meat from the ordination or any bread remains until morning, burn what remains in a fire. It must not be eaten, because it is holy. 35 Do this for Aaron and his sons, in accordance with everything I commanded you. Complete the offering of their hands for seven days. 36 Offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. Anoint the altar when you make atonement on it, and anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Make atonement on the altar for seven days and consecrate it. The altar will be most holy; everything that touches the altar will become holy.

The Daily Offerings

38 This is the arrangement for your offerings on the altar: two year-old lambs every day continually. 39 Offer one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at twilight. 40 Follow this arrangement when you offer with one lamb a mekilta of fine flour soaked in a quarter hin of pressed oil, and a libation of a quarter hin of wine. 41 Offer the second lamb at twilight, with a grain offering and a libation like those of the morning lamb. It will be accepted as a pleasing aroma, an offering before the Lord. 42 This is a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you there. 43 My Memra will meet the sons of Israel there, and it will be sanctified within my Glory.⁠a 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve before me in the high priesthood.⁠b 45 I will make my Shekinah dwell among the sons of Israel, and my Memra will be their redeeming God. 46 They will know that I am he, the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that the Glory of my Shekinah might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Incense Altar

1 “Make an altar for arranging incense. Make it of acacia wood. 2 It must be a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and measuring two cubits high. Its horns must rise from it as part of its height. 3 Overlay its top, all its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Make a gold molding around it. 4 Make two gold rings beneath its molding at its two corners, on its two sides, as places for the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 Put it before the veil beside the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat above the testimony, where my Memra will meet you. 7 Aaron must arrange fragrant incense on it every morning when he arranges the lamps. Aaron must arrange it. 8 When Aaron arranges the lamps at twilight, he must arrange it as continual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 Do not arrange unauthorized incense, burnt offerings, or grain offerings on it, or pour libations on it. 10 Aaron must make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he must make atonement on its horns once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Name of the Lord.”

The Census Payment

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “When you take the total count of the sons of Israel for their census, each man must give a ransom for his life to the Name of the Lord when they are counted, so that no destructive plague strikes them when they are counted. 13 This is the arrangement for what everyone passing through the census must give: half a sela by the sanctuary sela, which is twenty ma’in, a half sela as a contribution to the Name of the Lord. 14 Everyone passing through the census, from twenty years old and up, must give the contribution to the Name of the Lord. 15 The rich must not give more and the poor must not give less than half a sela when giving the Lord’s contribution to make atonement for your lives. 16 Take the ransom money from the sons of Israel and give it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a favorable remembrance for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for your lives.”

The Bronze Basin

17 The Lord spoke with Moses, saying, 18 “Make a bronze basin with a bronze base for sanctification. Put it between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons must sanctify their hands and feet with water from it. 20 When they enter the tent of meeting, they must sanctify themselves with water so they do not die. They must do the same when they approach the top of the altar to serve, arranging offerings before the Lord. 21 They must sanctify their hands and feet so they do not die. This will be a perpetual statute for them, for their sons’ descendants, and throughout their generations.”

The Anointing Oil

22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Take the finest incense, precious spices: choice myrrh weighing five hundred selas, aromatic cinnamon half that weight, two hundred fifty, and aromatic cane weighing two hundred fifty, 24 cassia weighing five hundred selas by the sanctuary sela, and a full hin of olive oil. 25 Make it into sacred anointing oil, a blend prepared by a perfumer, mixed with spices. It will be sacred anointing oil. 26 Anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony with it, 27 along with the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its utensils, the incense altar, 28 and the burnt-offering altar and all its utensils, the basin and its base. 29 Consecrate them so they become most holy. Everything that approaches them will become holy. 30 Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve before me in the high priesthood. 31 Tell the sons of Israel: This will be sacred anointing oil for me throughout your generations. 32 Do not rub it on the body of an ordinary person, and do not make anything with the same composition for yourselves. It is holy and must be holy for you. 33 Anyone who blends something like it or puts any of it on an unconsecrated person must be destroyed from among his people.”

The Incense

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take the finest incense, precious spices: balsam, a spike of myrrh, galbanum, and clear frankincense, in equal weights. 35 Make incense from it, blended by a perfumer, mixed, pure, and holy. 36 Pound some of it and grind it to powder. Put some before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where my Memra will meet you. It will be most holy for you. 37 Do not make incense of the same composition for yourselves. It must be holy for you to the Name of the Lord. 38 Anyone who makes something like it for his own enjoyment must be destroyed from among his people.”

Bezalel and Oholiab

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “See, Moses, I have appointed and called Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of the sons of Judah, by the good name of master. 3 I have equipped him with a spirit of holiness from before the Lord, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and every kind of craftsmanship, 4 to teach craftsmanship and work in the crafts of gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in the craft of setting precious stones and in woodcarving, to carry out every kind of work. 6 I have placed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of the men of Dan, with him. I have given wisdom to all whose hearts are wise, so that they may make everything I commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the cover above it, and all the tent’s utensils; 8 the table and its utensils, the pure lampstand and all its utensils, and the incense altar; 9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin and its base; 10 the service garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments for service; 11 the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for sanctification. Make everything I commanded you.”

Keeping the Sabbath

12 The Lord told Moses: 13 “Tell the sons of Israel: ‘You must keep my holy Sabbaths, because they are a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 Keep the Sabbath day, because it is holy for you. Anyone who profanes it must be killed. Anyone who does work on it will be cut off from among his people. 15 Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy before the Lord. Anyone who works ⟨on the Sabbath day⟩ must be killed. 16 The sons of Israel must keep the Sabbath day, observing the Sabbath day throughout their generations as a lasting covenant. 17 The Sabbath is a sign forever between his Memra and the sons of Israel, because in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day there was rest and quiet before the Lord.’”

The Tablets of the Testimony

18 When he finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, stone tablets written by the finger of the Might from before the Lord.

The Golden Calf

1 The people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain. They gathered around Aaron and told him, “Get up! Make us gods to go before us, because we do not know what has finally happened to this man Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt.” 2 Aaron told them, “Remove the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 All the people removed the gold rings ⟨that were⟩ in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He received them from their hands and cast them into a mold. He made it into a cast-metal calf and said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 5 Aaron saw Hur the prophet before it and was afraid. He built an altar before it. Aaron made a proclamation: “A festival before the Lord tomorrow!” 6 They rose early the next day, arranged burnt offerings, and brought sacrifices of holy things. The people sat down to eat and drink, then rose to engage in obscene revelry in foreign worship.⁠a

Moses Prays for the People

7 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, because your people, whom you redeemed and brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them. They made themselves a cast-metal calf, bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9 The Lord told Moses, “This people is revealed before me. They are a people who find it hard to accept instruction. 10 Now stop seeking mercy for them before me, so that my anger may burn against them and I may destroy them. I can make ⟨you a people⟩ greater and stronger than they are.” 11 Moses prayed before the Lord his God: “Why, Lord, does your anger burn against your people, whom you redeemed and brought out of the land of Egypt, with your great power and your outstretched arm? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘Their departure was for their harm, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn, please, from your fierce anger. Let there be regret before you for the harm you intended to bring on your people. 13 In your mercy remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by the name of your Memra and said, ‘I will make your sons as numerous as the stars of the heavens. All this land I promised, I will give to your sons, and they will possess it forever.’” 14 There was regret before the Lord for the harm he had intended to bring on the people.

Moses Breaks the Tablets

15 Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets in his hand, tablets written on both sides, written on this side and on that side. 16 The tablets were the work of the Might from before the Lord, and the writing was clearly written from before the Lord, engraved on the tablets. 17 Joshua heard the people’s noise as they ran back and forth and told Moses, “The sound of battle lines in the camp!” 18 He said, “I do not hear the sound of men victorious in battle, nor do I hear the sound of the weak defeated in battle. I hear the sound of people singing praise in foreign worship; I hear the sound of people singing praise.” 19 When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned. He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, scattered it over the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it. 21 Moses asked Aaron, “What has this people done to you to make you bring such great sins on them?” 22 Aaron told Moses, “Do not let my master’s anger burn. You know that the people are evil. 23 They told me, ‘Make us gods to go before us, because we do not know what has finally happened to this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt.’ 24 He told them, ‘Whoever has gold, remove it and give it to me.’ I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.” 25 Moses saw that the people were stripped, because they had removed the gold crown from their heads, on which the Distinguished Name was engraved. Because they had not listened to Aaron’s words, they earned themselves a bad name for all generations.

The Levites Gather Around Moses

26 Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever fears before the Lord, come to me!” The whole tribe of Levi gathered to him. 27 He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you must put his sword on his thigh. Go back and forth from entrance to entrance in the camp. Each man must kill his brother, his companion, and his neighbor.’” 28 The sons of Levi did as Moses said. About three thousand men fell from the people that day. 29 Moses said, “Complete the offering of your hands today before the Lord, because each of you has struck his son and his brother, so that he may give you a blessing today.”

Moses Seeks Forgiveness for Israel

30 The next day Moses told the people, “You have committed great sins. Now I will go up to seek mercy before the Lord; ⟨perhaps I can atone for your sins⟩.” 31 ⟨Moses returned before the Lord⟩ and said, “Please, this people has committed great sins and made themselves gods of gold. 32 Now, if only you would forgive and remit their sins! But if not, erase me from the book of your Law that you have written.” 33 The Lord told Moses, “Whoever has sinned before me, I will erase him from the book of my Law. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you. My angel will go before you. On the day I remember them, I will remember their sins against them.” 35 The Lord struck the people because they made the calf Aaron had made.

Preparing to Leave Sinai

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go up from here, you and the people you redeemed and brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give to your son. 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, 3 to a land producing good fruit, pure as milk and sweet as honey. But I will not withdraw the Glory of my Shekinah from among you, because they are a people who find it hard to accept instruction, so that I do not destroy you on the road.” 4 The people heard this bad news and mourned. No one put on his weapons. 5 The Lord told Moses, “Tell the sons of Israel: ‘You are a people who find it hard to accept instruction. If I withdraw the Glory of my Shekinah from among you for even a moment, I will destroy you. Now each of you must remove his weapons, and I will know what to do with you.’” 6 The sons of Israel stripped off their weapons, on which the Distinguished Name was engraved, from Mount Horeb onward.

The Tent Outside the Camp

7 Moses took the tent and spread it outside the camp, far from the camp. He called it the tent of meeting. Anyone seeking instruction from before the Lord went out to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood, each at the entrance to his tent. They watched Moses until he entered his tent. 9 Whenever Moses entered the tent’s entrance, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the tent’s entrance, and he spoke with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tent’s entrance. All the people stood and prayed, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The Lord spoke with Moses, speech to speech, as a man speaks with his companion. He returned to the camp, but his attendant Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the camp.

Moses Asks for the Lord’s Presence

12 Moses said before the Lord, “See, you tell me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not told me whom you will send with me. Yet you said, ‘See, I have appointed you by the name of master, and you have found grace and favor before me.’ 13 Now, if I have found grace and favor before you, please make your ways known to me, and I will fear before you, because I have found grace and favor in your sight. See that this great nation is your people.” 14 He said, “The Glory of my Shekinah will accompany you, and I will prepare a resting place for you.” 15 He said before him, “If the Glory of your Shekinah is not among us, do not make us go up from here. 16 How will it be known that I and your people have found grace and favor before you, except by the Glory of your Shekinah accompanying us? Signs and wonders will be done with us, with me and your people, distinguishing us from every people on the face of the earth.” 17 The Lord told Moses, “I will also do this thing you have spoken, because you have found grace and favor in my sight, and I have appointed you by the name of master.” 18 He said, “Please show me your Glory.” 19 He said, “I will make the whole measure of my goodness pass before you. I will have pity on whoever is worthy of pity, and I will have mercy on whoever is worthy of mercy.” 20 He said, “You cannot see my face, because no human being can see my face and live.” 21 The Lord said, “There is a place appointed beside me. Stand ready on the rock. 22 When the Glory of my Shekinah passes, I will place you in a cleft of the rock and spread my palm over you until the companies of angels you will see have passed. 23 I will make the companies of angels pass, standing and serving before me. You will see the Word of the Glory of my Shekinah, but you cannot see the face of the Glory of my Shekinah.”

The New Stone Tablets

1 The Lord told Moses, “Cut yourself two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets you broke. 2 Be ready by morning. In the morning come up Mount Sinai and stand ready there beside me on the mountaintop. 3 No one may come up with you, and no one may be seen anywhere on the mountain. Neither sheep nor cattle may graze opposite that mountain.” 4 Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. He rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai as ⟨the Lord⟩ had commanded him, taking the two stone tablets in his hand. 5 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed in the cloud and stood beside him there. He prayed there in the name of the Memra of the Lord. 6 The Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord passed by, and Moses prayed, “Lord, Lord, gracious and merciful God, patient, keeping anger far away and mercy near, abundant in kindness and truth, 7 keeping mercy and goodness for thousands of generations, forgiving and pardoning sins, passing over rebellions and granting forgiveness for sins, yet never leaving them unpunished. On the day of the great judgment he will remember the sins of wicked fathers against their sons and against the sons of rebellious sons, to the third and fourth generation.” 8 Moses hurried, bowed to the ground, gave thanks, and praised. 9 He said, “If I have found grace and favor before you, Lord, let your Glory, Lord, lead among us, although they are a people who find it hard to accept instruction. Forgive and remit our wrongs and sins, and take us as your possession.”

The Covenant Is Renewed

10 He said, “I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do signs and wonders never done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the Lord’s deeds. What I will do with you is awesome. 11 Pay attention to what I command you today. I am driving out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, so that they do not become a stumbling block among you. 13 Destroy their objects of divination, break their pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 Do not bow down to another god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God who takes vengeance in his jealousy. 15 Do not make a covenant with the land’s inhabitants, who stray after their idols and sacrifice to their idols, invite you, and you eat their sacrifices, 16 and you take their daughters as wives for your sons, and their daughters stray after their idols and lead your sons astray after their idols. 17 My people, sons of Israel, do not make yourselves idols of cast metal. 18 Keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Eat unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, ⟨because in the month of Abib⟩ you came out of Egypt redeemed. 19 Every firstborn that opens the womb belongs to my name, and every male firstborn that opens the womb among your livestock, cattle and sheep. 20 Redeem a firstborn donkey with a lamb. If you do not redeem it, kill it. Redeem every firstborn of your sons. Do not appear before me empty of every commandment. 21 Work for six days, but rest on the seventh day. Rest at the Festival of Ingathering and at the Festival of Harvest. 22 Observe the Festival of Weeks, the concluding festival, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year. 23 Three times a year all your males must appear before the Lord of all ages, the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will destroy nations before you and enlarge your borders. No one, prince or ruler, will crave your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times a year. 25 Do not offer the blood of my sacrifices of holy things with leaven. Do not leave the sacrifice of the Passover festival overnight until morning. 26 Bring the first of your land’s first fruits to the sanctuary of the Lord your God. My people, sons of Israel, do not cook or eat meat and milk mixed together, so that my anger does not burn against you and I cook your bundled grain, the grain and the straw mixed together.” 27 The Lord told Moses, “Write these words, because according to the decree of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 He was there seeking instruction from before the Lord for forty days and forty nights. He ate no bread and drank no water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.

The Radiance of Moses’ Face

29 When Moses came down Mount Sinai, carrying the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands as he came down the mountain, Moses did not know that the splendor of the glory of his face shone because of his speaking with him. 30 Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and the splendor of the glory of Moses’ face shone. They were afraid to approach him. 31 Moses called them. Aaron and all the congregation’s leaders returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32 Afterward all the sons of Israel approached. He commanded them everything he had been commanded on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. He came out and told the sons of Israel what he had been commanded. 35 The sons of Israel saw that the splendor of the glory of Moses’ face shone. Moses put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him.

The Sabbath Commandment

1 Moses gathered the whole congregation of the sons of Israel and told them, “These are the things the Lord commanded you to do: 2 Work may be done for six days, but the seventh must be holy for you, a Sabbath of rest before the Lord. Anyone who works on it must be killed. 3 Do not light a fire anywhere you live on the Sabbath day.”

Gifts for the Tabernacle

4 Moses told the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, “This is what the Lord commanded: 5 Receive from among you an offering set apart to the name of the Lord. Everyone whose heart moves him must bring the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, bronze, 6 blue, purple, precious crimson material, fine linen made from twisted threads, and goats’ hair; 7 reddened ram skins, sasgewan skins, and acacia wood; 8 oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; 9 precious stones and stones for setting, to be inserted in the ephod and breastpiece. 10 Let everyone among you whose heart is wise come and make everything the Lord commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent covering, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark, its poles, the cover, and the screening veil; 13 the table, its poles, all its utensils, and the arranged bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand for lighting, ⟨its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for lighting⟩; 15 the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the screen at the entrance, ⟨the entrance to the tabernacle⟩; 16 the altar of burnt offering, its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, the basin, and its base; 17 the court’s hangings, its pillars, its bases, and the screen at the entrance to the court; 18 the tabernacle’s pegs, the court’s pegs, and their cords; 19 the service garments for serving inside the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments for service.” 20 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel went out from before Moses. 21 Every man whose heart moved him and everyone whose spirit moved him brought the Lord’s offering set apart for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 The men came beside the women. Everyone whose heart moved him brought necklaces, rings, signet rings, emeralds, and every kind of gold article, every man who presented a gold offering to the name of the Lord. 23 Every man who had blue, purple, precious crimson material, fine linen made from twisted threads, goats’ hair, reddened ram skins, or sasgewan skins brought them. 24 Everyone setting apart an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord’s offering, and everyone who had acacia wood brought it for every kind of service work. 25 Every woman whose hands were skilled spun the blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen. 26 All the women whose hearts moved them with skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 The leaders brought precious stones and stones for setting in the ephod and breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for lighting, for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 Every man and woman whose heart moved them to bring something for all the work the Lord commanded through Moses brought it. The sons of Israel brought a voluntary offering to the name of the Lord.

Bezalel and Oholiab Are Appointed

30 Moses told the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has appointed Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of the sons of Judah, by the name of master. 31 A spirit of holiness from before the Lord has filled him with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and every kind of craftsmanship, 32 to teach craftsmen to work in the crafts of gold, silver, and bronze, 33 in the craft of setting precious stones and in woodcarving, to carry out every kind of skilled work. 34 He has also given him the ability to teach, both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of the sons of Dan. 35 He filled their hearts with skill to carry out every kind of work, the work of the woodcarver, craftsman, embroiderer in blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen, and the weaver, doing every kind of work and teaching crafts.”

Work Begins on the Sanctuary

1 Bezalel, Oholiab, and every man whose heart was wise, in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom and understanding to know how to carry out all the sanctuary’s service work, worked according to everything the Lord commanded. 2 Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and everyone whose heart was wise in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him to approach the work and do it. 3 They received from before Moses all the offerings the sons of Israel had set apart for the sanctuary’s service work. The people continued bringing voluntary offerings to him every morning. 4 All the skilled men doing all the sanctuary’s work came, each from the work he was doing. 5 They told Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the service of the work the Lord commanded.” 6 Moses gave a command, and a herald went throughout the camp, proclaiming, “No man or woman is to do any more work for the sanctuary’s offering.” The people stopped bringing. 7 The material was enough for all the work. They made it, and some remained.

Making the Curtains and Coverings

8 Everyone whose heart was wise among those doing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine linen made from twisted threads, blue, purple, and precious crimson material. They made them with figures, a craftsman’s work. 9 Each curtain was twenty-eight ordinary cubits long and four cubits wide. All the curtains had the same measurements. 10 He joined five curtains to one another and joined the other five curtains to one another. 11 He made blue loops on the edge of the outermost curtain at the joining. He did the same on the edge of the curtain at the second joining. 12 He made fifty loops on the first curtain and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain at the second joining. The loops faced one another. 13 He made fifty gold clasps and joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, making the tabernacle one whole. 14 He made goats’ hair curtains as a covering to spread over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 Each curtain was thirty ordinary cubits long and four cubits wide. All eleven curtains had the same measurements. 16 He joined five curtains together by themselves, ⟨and six curtains together by themselves⟩. 17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain at the joining, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain at the second joining. 18 He made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent into one whole. 19 He made a covering for the tent of reddened ram skins and a covering of sasgewan skins above it.

Making the Boards and Bars

20 He made upright boards of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 21 Each board was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 22 Each board had two tenons fitted to one another. He made all the tabernacle’s boards this way. 23 He made twenty boards for the tabernacle’s south side, toward the south. 24 He made forty silver bases under the twenty boards, two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. 25 For the tabernacle’s second side, toward the north, he made twenty boards 26 and their forty silver bases, two bases under one board and two under another. 27 For the back of the tabernacle toward the west he made six boards. 28 He made two boards for the tabernacle’s corners at the back. 29 They were joined below and joined together at the top inside the first ring. He made both of them this way at the two corners. 30 There were eight boards with their silver bases, sixteen bases, two bases under each board. 31 He made five bars of acacia wood for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five bars for the boards on the tabernacle’s second side, and five bars for the boards at the back of the tabernacle, toward the west. 33 He made the middle bar pass through the boards from one end to the other. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold and made their gold rings to hold the bars, then overlaid the bars with gold.

Making the Veil and Entrance Curtain

35 He made the veil of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. He made it with figures, a craftsman’s work. 36 He made four acacia pillars for it and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were gold, and he cast four silver bases for them. 37 He made a screen for the tent’s entrance of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads, an embroiderer’s work, 38 and its five pillars and their hooks. He overlaid their tops and bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze.

Making the Ark

1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 2 He overlaid it inside and outside with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for its four corners, two rings on one side and two on the other side. 4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles through the rings on the ark’s sides to carry the ark. 6 He made the cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 7 He made two gold cherubim, making them of hammered gold at the cover’s two ends, 8 one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim from the cover, at its two ends. 9 The cherubim spread their wings above, sheltering the cover with their wings. They faced one another, with their faces turned toward the cover.

Making the Table

10 He made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. 12 He made a border a handbreadth wide around it and made a gold molding around its border. 13 He cast four gold rings and put the rings at the four corners of its four legs. 14 The rings were opposite the border, holders for the poles used to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold to carry the table. 16 He made the utensils for the table, its bowls, dishes, libation jars, and flagons used in service, of pure gold.

Making the Lampstand

17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered gold, its base, shaft, cups, apples, and lilies all from it. 18 Six branches came out of its sides, three lampstand branches from one side and three from the other side. 19 There were three engraved cups on a branch, an apple and a lily; so it was for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 20 On the lampstand were four engraved cups, its apples and its lilies. 21 An apple was under the first pair of branches, an apple under the next pair, and an apple under the next pair, all from it, for the six branches coming out of it. 22 Their apples and branches were from it, all one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps, tongs, and trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils from a centenarium of pure gold.

Making the Incense Altar and Anointing Oil

25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood, a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high. Its horns were ⟨from it⟩. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and made a gold molding around it. 27 He made two gold rings below its molding, at its two corners on its two sides, as holders for the poles used to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29 He made the holy anointing oil and pure fragrant incense, a perfumer’s work.

Making the Bronze Altar

1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2 He made its horns at its four corners. Its horns were from the measure of its height. He overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the altar’s utensils, its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, forks, and trays. He made all its utensils of bronze. 4 He made a bronze network grating for the altar beneath its ledge, extending halfway up from below. 5 He cast four rings at the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 He put the poles through the rings on the altar’s sides to carry it. He made it hollow, of boards.

Making the Basin

8 He made the bronze basin and its bronze base from the mirrors of the righteous women who prayed at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Making the Court

9 He made the court. On the south side, toward the south, the court’s hangings were fine linen made from twisted threads, a hundred ordinary cubits long. 10 Their twenty pillars and twenty bases were bronze. The pillars’ hooks and bands were silver. 11 On the north side they were a hundred ordinary cubits long, with twenty pillars and twenty bronze bases. The pillars’ hooks and bands were silver. 12 On the west side the hangings were fifty ordinary cubits long, with ten pillars and ten bases. The pillars’ hooks and bands were silver. 13 On the east side, toward the sunrise, they were fifty cubits long. 14 The hangings on one side were fifteen cubits long, with three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side, on this side and that side of the court’s entrance, the hangings were fifteen cubits long, with three pillars and three bases. 16 All the court’s hangings around it were fine linen made from twisted threads. 17 The pillars’ bases were bronze, their hooks and bands silver. Their tops were overlaid with silver, and all the court’s pillars were joined with silver. 18 The screen at the court’s entrance was embroidered work of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads, twenty cubits long and five cubits high across its width, corresponding to the court’s hangings. 19 Its four pillars and four bases were bronze. Their hooks were silver, and their tops and bands were overlaid with silver. 20 All the pegs of the tabernacle and the surrounding court were bronze.

Materials Used for the Tabernacle

21 These are the totals for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, counted at Moses’ command, the Levites’ service under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of the sons of Judah, made everything the Lord commanded Moses. 23 With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of the sons of Dan, a woodcarver, craftsman, and embroiderer in blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen. 24 All the gold used for the work, for all the sanctuary’s work, the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty selas, according to the sanctuary sela. 25 ⟨The silver of those counted in the congregation was a hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five selas, according to the sanctuary selas.⟩ 26 ⟨A teba for each head, half a sanctuary sela,⟩ for everyone who passed into the count, twenty years old and older, six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sanctuary’s bases and the veil’s bases, a hundred bases from a hundred talents, a talent for each base. 28 From the one thousand seven hundred seventy-five he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their tops, and joined them. 29 The bronze of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred selas, according to the sanctuary selas. 30 ⟨With it he made⟩ the bases of the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar, its bronze grating, and all the altar’s utensils, 31 the bases around the court, the bases of the court’s entrance, ⟨all the tabernacle’s pegs, and all the court’s pegs⟩ around it.

Making the Priestly Garments

1 From the blue, purple, and precious crimson material they made the service garments, ⟨for serving in the sanctuary, and they made the holy garments⟩ for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses. 2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. 3 They hammered out sheets of gold and cut them into threads to work into the blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen, a craftsman’s work. 4 They made joined shoulder pieces for it, joined at its two ends. 5 The ephod’s band above it was from it, made in the same way, of gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads, as the Lord commanded Moses. 6 They made the precious stones in gold settings, inscribed with engraved writing according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7 He placed them on the ephod’s shoulder pieces as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Making the Breastpiece

8 He made the breastpiece, a craftsman’s work like the work of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. 9 They made the breastpiece square and doubled, a span long and a span wide when doubled. 10 They filled it with four rows of precious stones. The first row was carnelian, topaz, and carbuncle, one row. The names of three tribes were clearly written on them: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. 11 The second row was chalcedony, sapphire, and calf’s eye. The names of three tribes were clearly written on them: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 12 The third row was jacinth, beryl, and emerald. The names of three tribes were clearly written on them: Dan, Naphtali, and Gad. 13 The fourth row was beryl of the Great Sea, bdellium, and pearl. The names of three tribes were clearly written on them: Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. They were enclosed in gold settings in their mountings. 14 The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names. Each was inscribed with engraved writing according to its name, for the twelve tribes. 15 They made joined chains for the breastpiece, braided work of pure gold. 16 They made two gold settings and two gold rings and put the two rings on the breastpiece’s two edges. 17 They put the two gold braids through the two rings at the breastpiece’s edges. 18 They put the two ends of the two braids on the two settings and placed them on the ephod’s shoulder pieces, at the front. 19 They made two gold rings and put them on the breastpiece’s two edges, on its border facing inside toward the ephod. 20 They made two gold rings and put them on the ephod’s two shoulder pieces below, at the front, opposite its joining, above the ephod’s band. 21 They fastened the breastpiece by its rings to the ephod’s rings, ⟨with a blue cord, so it would lie on the ephod’s band⟩, and the breastpiece would not move from the ephod, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Making the Robe

22 They made the ephod’s robe, a weaver’s work entirely of blue. 23 The robe’s opening was in its middle, like the opening of a coat of mail, with a border around the opening so it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates on the robe’s hem of blue, purple, precious crimson material, and fine linen made from twisted threads. 25 They made bells of pure gold and put the bells among the pomegranates around the robe’s hem, among the pomegranates: 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the robe’s hem for service, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Making the Tunics and Other Garments

27 They made the fine linen tunic, a weaver’s work, for Aaron and his sons, 28 the fine linen turban, the crowns, the caps of fine linen, and the linen trousers of fine linen made from twisted threads, 29 and the belt of fine linen made from twisted threads, blue, purple, and precious crimson material, an embroiderer’s work, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Making the Gold Plate

30 They made the plate, the holy crown, of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription, engraved writing: ‘Holy to the name of the Lord.’ 31 They put a blue cord on it to place it above the turban, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Completed Work Is Brought to Moses

32 All the work of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The sons of Israel did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is what they did. 33 They brought ⟨the tabernacle to Moses⟩, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, boards, bars, pillars, and bases; 34 the covering of reddened ram skins, the covering of sasgewan skins, and the screening veil; 35 the ark of the Testimony, its poles, and the cover; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the arranged bread of the Presence; 37 the pure lampstand, its lamps, the lamps for lighting, all its utensils, and the oil for lighting; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the screen for the tabernacle’s entrance; 39 the bronze altar, its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, the basin, and the basin’s base; 40 the court’s hangings, its pillars and bases, the screen for the court’s entrance, their cords and pegs, and all the utensils for the tabernacle’s service, for the tent of meeting; 41 the service garments for serving in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments for service. 42 The sons of Israel did all the work according to everything the Lord commanded Moses. 43 Moses saw all his work, and they had done it as he commanded Moses; that is what they had done. Moses blessed them and said, “May his Shekinah dwell in the work of your hands.”

Instructions for Setting Up the Tabernacle

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “On the first day of the first month, set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 3 Place the ark of the Testimony there and screen the ark with the veil. 4 Bring in the table and arrange its setting. Bring in the lampstand and arrange its lamps. 5 Place the gold incense altar before the ark of the Testimony and put up the screen at the tabernacle’s entrance. 6 Place the altar of burnt offering before the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 7 Place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 Set up the surrounding court and place the screen at the court’s entrance. 9 Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it. Consecrate it and all its utensils, and they will be holy. 10 Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils. Consecrate the altar, and the altar will be most holy. 11 ⟨Anoint the basin and its base and consecrate it.⟩ 12 ⟨Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.⟩ 13 ⟨Clothe Aaron in the holy garments⟩, anoint him, and consecrate him, so he may serve before me in the high priesthood. 14 Bring his sons and clothe them in tunics. 15 Anoint them as you anointed their father, so they may serve before me in the high priesthood. Their anointing will confer a lasting priesthood on them throughout their generations.”

Moses Sets Up the Tabernacle

16 Moses did everything the Lord commanded him; that is what he did. 17 In the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, Moses set up the tabernacle. 18 Moses set up the tabernacle. He laid its bases, placed its boards, put in its bars, and set up its pillars. 19 He spread the tent covering over the tabernacle and placed the tabernacle’s outer covering above it, as the Lord commanded Moses. 20 He took the Testimony into the ark, put the poles on the ark of the Testimony, and placed the cover above the ark. 21 He brought the ark inside the tabernacle, put up the screening veil, and screened the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord commanded Moses. 22 He placed the table in the tent of meeting, at the tabernacle’s northern end, outside the veil. 23 He arranged the bread of the Presence on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. 24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, at the tabernacle’s southern end. 25 He brought in the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. 26 He placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting before the veil. 27 He arranged fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded Moses. 28 He put up the screen at the tabernacle’s entrance. 29 He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and arranged the burnt offering ⟨and the offering⟩ on it, as the Lord commanded Moses. 30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water there for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. 32 Whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the top of the altar, they washed themselves, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 He set up the court around the tabernacle and altar and put up the screen at the court’s entrance. Moses completed the work.

The Glory of the Shekinah Fills the Tabernacle

34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting, because he had caused the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord to dwell on it, and the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 When the cloud rose ⟨from above the tabernacle⟩, the sons of Israel journeyed on all their journeys. 37 If the cloud did not rise, they did not journey until the day it rose. 38 The cloud of the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it at night, in the sight of the whole house of Israel throughout all their journeys.