Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Moses and Aaron, together with Nadab and Abihu and the seventy leaders, went up the mountain.

Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.

Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long. Two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, stayed in the camp and did not go out to the tent. There in the camp the Spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. read more.
A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing. Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses: Stop them, sir! Moses asked him: Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Jehovah's people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his Spirit on them! Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp.


Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.

Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long. Two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, stayed in the camp and did not go out to the tent. There in the camp the Spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. read more.
A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing. Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses: Stop them, sir! Moses asked him: Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Jehovah's people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his Spirit on them! Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp.


The next day Moses settled disputes among the people. He was busy from morning till night. Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do. He asked: What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone? There are people standing here from morning till night to consult you? Moses answered: They come here to find out what God wants them to do. read more.
They bring their complaints to me. I make decisions on the basis of God's laws. Jethro replied: That is not a good way to do it. You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You cannot do it alone! Listen to the advice I give you. May God be with you! You must be the people's representative to God and bring their disagreements to him. You must instruct them in the laws and the teachings. Show them how to live and tell them what to do. You should choose capable men from all the people. Find men who respect God. These must be men you can trust who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They must be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all-important cases to you. But they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you. If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out. All these people can go home with their disputes settled. Moses took Jethro's advice and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They judged the people on a permanent basis. The difficult cases were taken to Moses but they decided the smaller disputes themselves.

Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.

Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.

I spoke to you then and said: 'I am not able to bear the burden of you alone. Jehovah your God has increased your numbers. Today you are more numerous than the stars of heaven. Jehovah the God of your fathers will make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he promised you! read more.
How can I alone bear your encumbrance, your burden, and your strife? Take wise men with understanding, who are known among your tribes. I will make them rulers over you.' You answered me: 'The thing you speak is good for us to do.' So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them rulers over you. I made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. I charged your judges to hear the cases between your countrymen and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger with him. You will not show partiality in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great. You will not fear man for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.'


I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.


Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.

Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.


Moses heard people from every family cry at the entrance to their tents. Jehovah became very angry. Moses did not like it either. So he asked: Jehovah, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries a baby, all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath? read more.
Where can I get meat for all these people? They continually cry for me to give them meat to eat. I am not able to take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me! If you treat me like this have pity on me and kill me. That way I will not have to endure my shame any longer. Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone. Tell the people: 'Purify yourselves for tomorrow. You will have meat to eat! Jehovah has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Jehovah will now give you meat, and you will have to eat it. You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days. You will eat it for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected Jehovah who is here among you and have complained to him that you should not have left Egypt.'


Jehovah sent Aaron and Moses with a message for the sons of Israel and for the king. He also ordered Aaron and Moses to free the people from Egypt.

Then Moses explained: This is because I depended on Jehovah. But in future generations, Jehovah will have to fight the Amalekites again.


I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will speak to them all that I command him.

Jehovah your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. Listen to him!

Jehovah would speak with Moses in person (intimately) (face to face) just as someone speaks with a friend. Moses would then return to the camp. But the young man who was his helper, Joshua son of Nun, stayed in the Tent.

It was the fortieth year, eleventh month, on the first day of the month. Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all the commandments Jehovah (YHWH) gave him for them.

Jehovah said: Do this to prove to the Israelites that Jehovah, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to you.

Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face (intimately),

I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.

These are the commandments and rules Jehovah gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.

Jehovah said to him: Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Jehovah? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth. I will teach you what you are to say.

You shall speak all that I command you. Your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

Jehovah called Moses from the mountain. So Moses went up the mountain to God. Jehovah told him: This is what you must say to the descendants of Jacob. Tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on the wings of eagles and brought you to me. If you will obey me and are faithful to the terms of my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, for all the earth is mine. read more.
You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation. These are the words you must speak to the children of Israel.' Moses went down the mountain and called for the elders of the people. He repeated to them all the words that Jehovah had commanded him. All the people answered together: We will do everything Jehovah has said. So Moses brought their answer back to Jehovah. Jehovah said to Moses: I will come to you in a thick cloud. The people will hear me speaking with you and will believe you from now on. Moses gave Jehovah the people's answer.

But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household. I speak with him face to face. I speak plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of Jehovah. Why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?'

But you stay here with me. I will give you all the commands, laws, and rules that you must teach them to obey in the land I will give them to possess.

and for all the great wonders and mighty power which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Jehovah used a prophet to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt. He used a prophet to take care of them.

You totally reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition. Moses said: 'Honor your father and your mother. He also said: 'He that speaks evil of father or mother must die.'

This is the Moses that said to the children of Israel, your God will raise up a prophet like me from your brothers. This one was with our father in the congregation in the wilderness. The angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He received the living oracles to give to us.


The next day Moses settled disputes among the people. He was busy from morning till night. Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do. He asked: What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone? There are people standing here from morning till night to consult you? Moses answered: They come here to find out what God wants them to do. read more.
They bring their complaints to me. I make decisions on the basis of God's laws. Jethro replied: That is not a good way to do it. You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You cannot do it alone! Listen to the advice I give you. May God be with you! You must be the people's representative to God and bring their disagreements to him. You must instruct them in the laws and the teachings. Show them how to live and tell them what to do. You should choose capable men from all the people. Find men who respect God. These must be men you can trust who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They must be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all-important cases to you. But they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you. If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out. All these people can go home with their disputes settled. Moses took Jethro's advice and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They judged the people on a permanent basis. The difficult cases were taken to Moses but they decided the smaller disputes themselves.

Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone. Tell the people: 'Purify yourselves for tomorrow. You will have meat to eat! Jehovah has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Jehovah will now give you meat, and you will have to eat it. read more.
You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days. You will eat it for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected Jehovah who is here among you and have complained to him that you should not have left Egypt.' Moses said to Jehovah: Here I am leading six hundred thousand people, and you say that you will give them enough meat for a month? Could enough cattle and sheep even be killed to satisfy them? Are all the fish in the sea enough for them? Is there a limit to my power? Jehovah answered. You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not! Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long. Two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, stayed in the camp and did not go out to the tent. There in the camp the Spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing. Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses: Stop them, sir! Moses asked him: Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Jehovah's people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his Spirit on them! Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp.

I spoke to you then and said: 'I am not able to bear the burden of you alone. Jehovah your God has increased your numbers. Today you are more numerous than the stars of heaven. Jehovah the God of your fathers will make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he promised you! read more.
How can I alone bear your encumbrance, your burden, and your strife? Take wise men with understanding, who are known among your tribes. I will make them rulers over you.' You answered me: 'The thing you speak is good for us to do.' So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them rulers over you. I made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. I charged your judges to hear the cases between your countrymen and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger with him. You will not show partiality in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great. You will not fear man for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.' I commanded you at that time all the things you should do.



Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone.


So he asked: Jehovah, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries a baby, all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath? Where can I get meat for all these people? They continually cry for me to give them meat to eat. read more.
I am not able to take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me! If you treat me like this have pity on me and kill me. That way I will not have to endure my shame any longer. Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone. Tell the people: 'Purify yourselves for tomorrow. You will have meat to eat! Jehovah has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Jehovah will now give you meat, and you will have to eat it. You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days. You will eat it for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected Jehovah who is here among you and have complained to him that you should not have left Egypt.' Moses said to Jehovah: Here I am leading six hundred thousand people, and you say that you will give them enough meat for a month? Could enough cattle and sheep even be killed to satisfy them? Are all the fish in the sea enough for them? Is there a limit to my power? Jehovah answered. You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not! Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long. Two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, stayed in the camp and did not go out to the tent. There in the camp the Spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing. Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses: Stop them, sir! Moses asked him: Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Jehovah's people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his Spirit on them! Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp. Jehovah sent a wind from the sea that brought quails and dropped them all around the camp. There were quails on the ground about three feet deep as far as you could walk in a day in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered the quails. No one gathered less than sixty bushels. Then they spread the quails out all around the camp. While the meat was still in their mouths, before they had even had a chance to chew it, Jehovah became angry with the people and struck them with a severe plague. That place was called Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves of Those Who Craved Meat) because they buried the people who had a strong craving for meat there. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, where they stayed.


The entire congregation complained about Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them: If only Jehovah had allowed us to die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!

Some foreigners among the Israelites had a strong craving for other kinds of food. Even the Israelites cried again and said: If only we had meat to eat! Remember all the free fish we ate in Egypt and the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions, and garlic we had? Now we have lost our appetite! Everywhere we look there is nothing but manna! read more.
Manna was small like coriander seeds and looked like resin. The people would gather it and then grind it in a hand mill or crush it in a mortar. They would cook it in a pot or make round loaves of bread out of it. It tasted like rich sweet pastry made with oil. When dew fell on the camp at night, manna fell with it. Moses heard people from every family cry at the entrance to their tents. Jehovah became very angry. Moses did not like it either. So he asked: Jehovah, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries a baby, all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath? Where can I get meat for all these people? They continually cry for me to give them meat to eat. I am not able to take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me! If you treat me like this have pity on me and kill me. That way I will not have to endure my shame any longer. Jehovah replied to Moses: Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as elders of the people. Bring them to me at the tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the spirit I have given and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people. You will not have to bear it alone. Tell the people: 'Purify yourselves for tomorrow. You will have meat to eat! Jehovah has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Jehovah will now give you meat, and you will have to eat it. You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days. You will eat it for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected Jehovah who is here among you and have complained to him that you should not have left Egypt.' Moses said to Jehovah: Here I am leading six hundred thousand people, and you say that you will give them enough meat for a month? Could enough cattle and sheep even be killed to satisfy them? Are all the fish in the sea enough for them? Is there a limit to my power? Jehovah answered. You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not! Thus Moses went out and told the people what Jehovah said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the tent. Jehovah came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long. Two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, stayed in the camp and did not go out to the tent. There in the camp the Spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing. Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses: Stop them, sir! Moses asked him: Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all Jehovah's people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his Spirit on them! Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp. Jehovah sent a wind from the sea that brought quails and dropped them all around the camp. There were quails on the ground about three feet deep as far as you could walk in a day in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered the quails. No one gathered less than sixty bushels. Then they spread the quails out all around the camp. While the meat was still in their mouths, before they had even had a chance to chew it, Jehovah became angry with the people and struck them with a severe plague.