'People' in the Bible

The Egyptian officials urged the people to send them out of the land quickly, because they were saying, "We'll all be dead!"

So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders.

The LORD had given the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they requested. As a result, they plundered the Egyptians.

Then Moses told the people, "Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, from the house of bondage, because the LORD brought you out from this place with a strong show of force. Moreover, nothing leavened is to be eaten.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer, because God had said, "If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt."

So God led the people the roundabout way of the desert toward the Reed Sea. The Israelis went up from the land of Egypt in military formation.

Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials changed toward the people, and they said, "What have we done in releasing Israel from serving us?"

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid! Stand still and watch how the LORD will deliver you today, because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you're looking at today.

When Israel saw the great force by which the LORD had acted against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed the LORD and Moses his servant.

"You have led with your gracious love this people whom you redeemed. You have guided them with your strength to your holy dwelling.

"The people heard and they quaked, anguish has seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

Dread and fear have fallen on them, because of the strength of your arm. They have become silent as a stone, until your people pass by, LORD, until this people you acquired pass by.

Then the people complained against Moses: "What are we to drink?"

The LORD told Moses, "Listen very carefully! I'll cause food to rain down for you from heaven, and the people are to go out and gather each day's portion on that day. In this way I'll test them to demonstrate whether or not they'll live according to my instructions.

Moses told them, "It's the food that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: "You are to gather from it what each person is to eat, about one omer per person according to the number of your people, and one person is to gather for everyone in his tent.'"

But they did not listen to Moses some people left part of it until morning, and it produced maggots and smelled bad, so Moses got angry at them.

Nevertheless, that seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any.

Then the LORD asked Moses, "How long will you people refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions?

So the people rested on the seventh day.

The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command of the LORD. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

The people quarreled with Moses: "Give us water to drink." Moses told them, "Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the LORD?"

But the people were thirsty there for water, so they complained against Moses: "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?"

So Moses cried out to the LORD: "What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they'll stone me."

Then the LORD told Moses, "Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

I'll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink." Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel.

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from the oppression of the Egyptians.

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.

When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning until evening?"

Moses told his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will.

You will certainly wear yourself out, both you and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself.

Now listen to me. I'll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God.

You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

They are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you, but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they'll bear it with you.

If you do this, and God so commands you, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will also go to their homes in peace."

Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

They judged the people at all times; the difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every minor matter they judged.

When Moses came, he summoned the elders of the people and told them everything that the LORD had commanded him.

All the people answered together: "We'll do everything that the LORD has said!"

Then Moses reported all the words of the people back to the LORD. The LORD told Moses, "Look, I'm coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may listen when I speak with you and always believe you." Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

The LORD told Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes,

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 are to set boundaries for the people all around: "Be very careful that you don't go up on the mountain or touch the side of it. Anyone who touches the mountain is certainly to be put to death.

When Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes.

He told the people, "Be ready for the third day; don't go near a woman."

When morning came on the third day, there was thunder and lightning, with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and the very loud sound of a ram's horn. All the people in the camp trembled.

Moses brought the people from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the base of the mountain.

The LORD told Moses, "Go down and warn the people so they don't break through to look at the LORD, and many of them perish.

Moses told the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai because you warned us: "Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.'"

The LORD told him, "Go down, and come back up with Aaron, but the priests and the people must not break through to go up to the LORD. Otherwise, he will attack them."

So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

All the people experienced the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram's horn, and the smoking mountain. And as the people experienced it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you may fear him in order that you don't sin."

Then the people stood at a distance, and Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

If she's displeasing to her master who selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He does not have the right to sell her to foreign people, because he has dealt unfairly with her.

"If people quarrel and one strikes the other with a rock or his fist, and he does not die but ends up in bed,

"If you loan money to my people, to the poor among you, don't be like a creditor to them and don't impose interest on them.

"You are not to blaspheme God or curse a ruler of your people.

"You are to be people set apart for me. You are not to eat flesh torn apart in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs."

but you are to let it rest the seventh year, leaving it unplanted. The poor of your people may eat from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. You are to do the same with your vineyards and olive groves.

"I'll go ahead of you and terrorize all the people to whom you are coming. I'll confuse your enemies and make them turn their backs on you and run away.

Only Moses is to approach the LORD, but the others are not to approach; the people are not to come up with him."

Then Moses came and reported all the words of the LORD and all the statutes to the people, and they all answered with one voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has decreed."

He took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They said, "We will put into practice and obey everything that the LORD has decreed."

Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD made with you based on all these words."

Then the LORD told Moses, "Go up to me on the mountain and stay there. I'll give you stone tablets with the instruction and law that I've written to teach the people."

Anyone who mixes anything like it or who puts any of it on an unqualified person is to be cut off from his people.'"

Anyone who makes anything like it to use it as perfume is to be cut off from his people."

You are to observe the Sabbath, because it's holy for you. Whoever profanes it is certainly to die; indeed, whoever does work on it is to be cut off from among his people.

When the people saw that Moses took a long time to come down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and told him, "Come here and make us a god who will go before us, because, as for this fellow Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him."

All the people tore off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to him.

He took them from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The people said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt."

They got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play.

The LORD told Moses, "Go down immediately, because your people whom you led out of Egypt have behaved corruptly.

Then the LORD told Moses, "I've seen these people and indeed they're obstinate.

But Moses implored the LORD his God: "LORD, why are you angry with your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a show of force?

Why should the Egyptians say, "He brought them out with an evil intention to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your anger and change your mind about the calamity against your people.

So the LORD changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people.

When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he told Moses, "The sound of war is coming from the camp."

Then Moses asked Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you brought such great sin upon them?"

Aaron said, "Sir, don't be angry. You know the people that they're intent on evil.

When Moses saw that the people were out of control since Aaron had let them get out of control, something that incited ridicule from their enemies

The descendants of Levi did just as Moses told them, and about 3,000 people died that day.

The next day Moses told the people, "You committed a great sin, and now I'll go up to the LORD, and perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."

Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Please, LORD, this people committed a great sin by making a god of gold for themselves.

Now, go, and lead the people where I told you, and now my angel will go before you, but on the day when I do punish, I'll punish them for their sin."

Then the LORD sent a plague on the people because they made the calf (the one Aaron made).

The LORD told Moses, "Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought out of Egypt, to the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying, "I'll give it to your descendants.'

Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I won't go up among you, because you are an obstinate people, and otherwise I might consume you along the way."

When the people heard this troubling word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.

The LORD had told Moses, "Say to the Israelis, "You are an obstinate people, and if for one moment I went up among you, I would put an end to you. Now take off your ornaments so I may decide what to do with you.'"

When Moses would go out to the tent, all the people would get up, and each would stand in the doorway of his tent, watching Moses until he entered the tent.

When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the doorway of the tent, all of them would get up and prostrate themselves in worship, each one at the doorway of his tent.

Moses told the LORD, "Look, you have told me, "Bring up this people,' but you haven't let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, "I know you by name,' and also, "You have found favor in my sight.'

Now, if I've found favor in your sight, please show me your ways so I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. And remember, this nation is your people."

Otherwise, how shall it be known that your people and I have received favor from you, unless you go with us and that we, your people and I, are distinguished from all the people on the surface of the earth?"

He said, "If I've found favor in your sight, Lord, please, Lord, walk among us. Certainly this is an obstinate people, but pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your own inheritance."

Then the LORD said, "I'm now going to make a covenant. I'll do miraculous deeds in full view of your people that haven't been done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the LORD, because it's an awesome thing that I'll do with you.

Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled people to whom the LORD had given ability, including everyone whose hearts stirred them to come forward to do the work.