The Visit of Jethro

¹Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro,the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

²After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,

³along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom,for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

⁴The other son was named Eliezer,for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

⁵Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

⁶He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.

⁸Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

⁹And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

¹¹Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

¹²Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

Jethro Advises Moses

¹³The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.

¹⁴When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁵“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.

¹⁶“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”

¹⁷But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.

¹⁸Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.

¹⁹Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.

²⁰Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.

²¹Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

²²Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.

²³If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”

²⁴Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

²⁵So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

²⁶And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.

²⁷Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.

Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just

¹Then Job replied:

²“If only my grief could be weighedand placed with my calamity on the scales.

³For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas—no wonder my words have been rash.

⁴For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me;my spirit drinks in their poison;the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

⁵Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass,or an ox low over its fodder?

⁶Is tasteless food eaten without salt,or is there flavor in the white of an egg?

⁷My soul refuses to touch them;they are loathsome food to me.

⁸If only my request were grantedand God would fulfill my hope:

⁹that God would be willing to crush me,to unleash His hand and cut me off!

¹⁰It still brings me comfort,and joy through unrelenting pain,that I have not deniedthe words of the Holy One.

¹¹What strength do I have, that I should still hope?What is my future, that I should be patient?

¹²Is my strength like that of stone,or my flesh made of bronze?

¹³Is there any help within menow that success is driven from me?

¹⁴A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend,even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵But my brothers are as faithless as wadis,as seasonal streams that overflow,

¹⁶darkened because of the iceand the inflow of melting snow,

¹⁷but ceasing in the dry seasonand vanishing from their channels in the heat.

¹⁸Caravans turn aside from their routes;they go into the wasteland and perish.

¹⁹The caravans of Tema look for water;the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.

²⁰They are confounded because they had hoped;their arrival brings disappointment.

²¹For now you are of no help;you see terror, and you are afraid.

²²Have I ever said, ‘Give me something;offer me a bribe from your wealth;

²³deliver me from the hand of the enemy;redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless’?

²⁴Teach me, and I will be silent.Help me understand how I have erred.

²⁵How painful are honest words!But what does your argument prove?

²⁶Do you intend to correct my words,and treat as wind my cry of despair?

²⁷You would even cast lots for an orphanand barter away your friend.

²⁸But now, please look at me.Would I lie to your face?

²⁹Reconsider; do not be unjust.Reconsider, for my righteousness is at stake.

³⁰Is there iniquity on my tongue?Can my mouth not discern malice?

Cain and Abel

¹And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.“With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.

²Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

³So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,

⁴while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock.And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

⁵but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶“Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?

⁷If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you,but you must master it.”

⁸Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.”And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”“I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

¹¹Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹²When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishmentis greater than I can bear.

¹⁴Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵“Not so!”replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

¹⁶So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

¹⁷And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.

¹⁸Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.

¹⁹And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

²⁰Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.

²¹And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

²²And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³Then Lamech said to his wives:“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.For I have slain a man for wounding me,a young man for striking me.

²⁴If Cain is avenged sevenfold,then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

Seth and Enosh

²⁵And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

²⁶And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh.At that time men began to call uponthe name of the LORD.

Give Praise, O Servants of the LORD

¹Hallelujah!Praise the name of the LORD.Give praise, O servants of the LORD,

²who stand in the house of the LORD,in the courts of the house of our God.

³Hallelujah, for the LORD is good;sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.

⁴For the LORD has chosen Jacob as His own,Israel as His treasured possession.

⁵For I know that the LORD is great;our Lord is above all gods.

⁶The LORD does all that pleases Himin the heavens and on the earth,in the seas and in all their depths.

⁷He causes the clouds to risefrom the ends of the earth.He generates the lightning with the rainand brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

⁸He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,of both man and beast.

⁹He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,against Pharaoh and all his servants.

¹⁰He struck down many nationsand slaughtered mighty kings:

¹¹Sihon king of the Amorites,Og king of Bashan,and all the kings of Canaan.

¹²He gave their land as an inheritance,as a heritage to His people Israel.

¹³Your name, O LORD, endures forever,Your renown, O LORD, through all generations.

¹⁴For the LORD will vindicate His peopleand will have compassion on His servants.

¹⁵The idols of the nations are silver and gold,made by the hands of men.

¹⁶They have mouths, but cannot speak;they have eyes, but cannot see;

¹⁷they have ears, but cannot hear;nor is there breath in their mouths.

¹⁸Those who make them become like them,as do all who trust in them.

¹⁹O house of Israel, bless the LORD;O house of Aaron, bless the LORD;

²⁰O house of Levi, bless the LORD;you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!

²¹Blessed be the LORD from Zion—He who dwells in Jerusalem.Hallelujah!