“I will grant this people favor with ¹  the Egyptians, so that when ²  you depart you will not leave empty-handed.

He ¹  will speak for you to the people, and it will be as if ²  he ³  were your mouth ⁴  and as if you were his God. ⁵ 

Aaron spoke ¹  all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people,

and the people believed. When they heard ¹  that the Lord had attended to ²  the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground. ³ 

The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? ¹  Return to your labor!”

Then Pharaoh summoned ¹  Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray ²  to the Lord that he may take the frogs away ³  from me and my people, and I will release ⁴  the people that they may sacrifice ⁵  to the Lord.”

But Pharaoh hardened ¹  his heart this time also and did not release the people.

Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate, ¹  and indeed, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ²  and he did not release the people.

Instruct ¹  the people that each man and each woman is to request ²  from his or her neighbor ³  items of silver and gold.” ⁴ 

So God brought the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea, ¹  and the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle. ² 

When Israel saw ¹  the great power ²  that the Lord had exercised ³  over the Egyptians, they ⁴  feared the Lord, and they believed in ⁵  the Lord and in his servant Moses. ⁶ 

¹ The whole community ²  of the Israelites traveled on their journey ³  from the Desert of Sin according to the Lord’s instruction, and they pitched camp in Rephidim. ⁴  Now ⁵  there was no water for the people to drink. ⁶ 

Jethro said, “Blessed ¹  be the Lord who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from the Egyptians’ control! ² 

You will surely wear out, ¹  both you and these people who are with you, for this is too ²  heavy a burden ³  for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

If you do this thing, and God so commands you, ¹  then you will be able ²  to endure, ³  and all these people ⁴  will be able to go ⁵  home ⁶  satisfied.” ⁷ 

They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring ¹  to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves.

So Moses came and summoned the elders of Israel. He set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him,

and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

You must set boundaries ¹  for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed ²  to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death!

“I will send my terror ¹  before you, and I will destroy ²  all the people whom you encounter; I will make all your enemies turn their backs ³  to you.