Aaron laid it up for a testimony, as the Eternal com. manded Moses. An omer (seven English pints), is the tenth part of an ephath.

35. And the Israelites ate manna forty years, till they came to the borders of Canaan, a land inhabited.

CHAP. XVII.

THE PEOPLE MURMUR FOR water.

ALL the Israelites journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by various journies, as the Eternal commanded, and pitched their tents in Rephidim, where they found no water. 2. Therefore did they chide Moses, saying, Give us water to drink. But he replied, Why chide ye with me, and provoke the Eternal? 3. And as they thirsted they murmured against Moses, saying, Why hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us, and our children, and our cattle, with thirst.

4. Then Moses prayed to the Eternal, saying, What shall I do to this people, as they are almost ready to stone me? 5. Then the Eternal said to Moses, Take with thee the elders of Israel, and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, and go before the people; 6. And behold, the symbol of my presence will stand on the rock in Horeb before thee; which rock thou shalt smite, and waters shall spring out of it for the people to drink.

7. Then Moses did so before the elders of Israel. And he called the place Meribah and Massah, (contention and provocation), because of the Israelites contention and provoking the Eternal, saying, Is the Eternal present with us.

8. Then came Amalek, and fought with Isra el at Rephidim. 9. And Moses said to Joshua, Take chosen men, and go to fight with Amalek tomorrow; I will stand on the hill's top, with the rod of God in my hand. 10. So Joshua went and fought with Amalek.

11. Then Moses, Aaron, and Hur, went up to the hill's top: and when Moses lifted up his hand with the rod, Israel prevailed; but when he let it down, Amalek prevailed. 12. And when Moses' hands became weary they placed a stone for him to sit on; and each of them held up one of his hands, the one being on the one side, and the other on the other side, and kept them stedfast, till the sun's light departed. 13. And Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

14. Then the Eternal said to Moses, Thou shalt write it (afterwards at Sinai) for a memorial, and rehearse it to Joshua, that I will utterly destroy the retown of Amalek.

15. And Moses built an altar, and named it, The Eternal is my Banner; 16. Because, said he, the Eternal's banner is in defence of his people against Amalek and their adversaries in all generations.

CHAP. XVIII.

JETHRO BRINGS TO MOSES HIS WIFE AND SONS.

JETHRO, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-inlaw, having heard of all that the Eternal had done for his people, in bringing them out of Egypt by Moses, 2, 3. Took Moses' wife, and her two sons, (whom he had sent back, the one called Gershom, because he was a stranger in a strange land, 4. And the other Eliezer, because the God of his fathers was his help from the power of Pharaoh), 5. And came into the wilderness to him, encamped at the Mount of God. 6. And having given previous noticé by messengers of his coming to Moses, 7, Moses went out to meet him, and paid his respects to him, and saluted him; and they enquired concerning one another's welfare, and came into the tent.

8. Then Moses related to him all that the Eter rial had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, on Irael's account, with all their troubles by the way, and

how the Eternal delivered them. 9. And Jethro rejoiced at all the goodness which the Eternal had shewn to Israel in delivering them from the Egyp tians. 10. And he blessed the Eternal for it, 11. And said, Now I know that the Eternal is above all other gods, and all that deal proudly, to abase them. 12. And Jethro offered a burnt-offering and sa crifices to God. And Aaron, with all the elders of Israel, came to eat bread with him, giving thanks to God.

13. And on the day following Moses sat from morning till evening to judge the people that stood before him. 14. And when his father-in-law saw it, he said, Why endurest thou all this toil thyself alone? 15. And he answered, Because the people come to me to enquire of God for them. 16. I make them know his laws and statutes, that I may judge be tween them in any matter.

17. But Jethro said to him, What thou doest is not fit; 18. Neither thou nor this people will be able to endure it, for the matter is too heavy for thee alone. 19. Hearken to my counsel, and God shall prosper and assist thee. Be thou the interpreter be tween God and them, to enquire of God concerning their causes: 20. And teach them laws and ordin ances, shewing them what they must do, and how they must walk. 21. And chuse thou able men from among the people, fearing God and hating covetousness; and make these upright men rulers over the people, even over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, 22. To judge small matters at all times, and every great matter let them bring to thee: thus shall they assist thee in bearing the burden. 23. And if God shall command thee concerning this matter, thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall return to their habitations always in due time, and in peace and concord.

24. So. Moses did all that his father-in-law had said. 25. He took able men, whom the people chose

out of their tribes (Deut. i. 9.), and made them heads over the people, 26. Who judged them at all seasons in small matters, and they brought difficult causes to Moses. 27. And he let his father-in-law depart, who returned to his own land.

CHAP. XIX.

THE LAW GIVEN AT SINAI.

On the first day of the third month (at Pentecost, Acts ii. 1.), after the Israelites came out of Egypt, they came to Sinai in the wilderness. 2. After de parting from Rephidim, they came and pitched there before the mountain.

3. And Moses went up the mount of God; for the Eternal called him from thence; and said to him, Say to the Israelites, 4. Ye have seen how I punished the Egyptians, and have borne you as on eagles' wings, and taken you to myself; 5, 6. Now, therefore, if ye will obey my commands sincerely, and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood (1 Pet. ii. 19.), dear to me above all others; for all the world's inhabit ants are mine.

7. Then Moses came and called the elders of the people, and delivered to them all these words, as the Eternal commanded him. 8. And all the people replied with one consent, All that the Eternal hath said, we will do. And Moses testified their words to the Eternal. 9. Then the Eternal said to Moses, I will speak to thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear, and hearken to thee always afterwards. 10. He said also to Moses, Let the people to-day, and to-morrow, wash their clothes, and purify themselves, 11. And be prepared against the third day; for then the Eternal will condescend to make a visible display of his presence, on Mount Sinai, in the sight of all the people. 12. But thou shalt set barriers around the mount; and tell the people, that if any transgress these, or any beast touch the mount,

he or it shall surely die (being stoned or pierced), 18. But when the trumpet ceaseth, they shall come up to the mount.

14. Then Moses departed from the mount, and went to prepare the people. 15. And said to them, Be prepared against the third day, but approach not the fire (1 Cor. vii. 5.); let there be conjugal ab

stinence.

16. And on the third day, in the morning, there was a thick cloud on the mount, and lightenings, and thunders: and the trumpet sounded exceeding loud; and all the people in the camp trembled.

17. Then Moses brought them out of the camp, nigh to the mount, to meet with God.

18. Then the Eternal descended on Mount Si nai in fire, and it was all in a smoke, which ascended like the smoke of a furnace; and the whole mount quaked greatly.

19. And when the trumpet sounded long, wax ing still louder, Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake, (Heb. xii. 21). And the Eternal answered him by a voice, 20. And called him up to the top of the mount.

21. Then the Eternal said to him, Go down to the people, and charge them not to break through the barriers to gaze at the display of the Eternal's presence, and perish. 22. And let the priests, who approach the Eternal, prepare themselves, lest his indignation break forth upon them.

23. But Moses said to the Eternal, Can any of the people come up to Mount Sinai, as thou chargedst us, saying, Set boundaries about the mount, to separate them from it? 24. But the Eternal said to Moses, Go down, and bring Aaron up with thee; but let not the people,nor the priests, break through, to come nigh the symbol of the Eternal's presence, lest his displeasure break forth upon them. 25. So Moses went down to the people, and spake to then after this manner.