'People' in the Bible

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”

But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.

When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

You will lead the peopleYou have redeemedwith Your faithful love;You will guide them to Your holy dwellingwith Your strength.

and terror and dread will fall on them.They will be as still as a stonebecause of Your powerful armuntil Your people pass by, Lord,until the people whom You purchased pass by.

The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink?”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions.

This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’”

But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

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

So the people rested on the seventh day.

The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.”“Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the Lord?”

But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!”

The Lord answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go.

I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

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

“Praise the Lord,” Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians.

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

When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.

Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him.

But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you.

If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”

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

They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

Then all the people responded together, “We will do all that the Lord has spoken.” So Moses brought the people’s words back to the Lord.

The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you.” Then Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord.

And the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes

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

Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death.

Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.

He said to the people, “Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women.”

On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.

Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.

But Moses responded to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since You warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.”

And the Lord replied to him, “Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out in anger against them.”

So Moses went down to the people and told them.

All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.

Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin.”

And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

“If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.

“You must not blaspheme God or curse a leader among your people.

“Be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal found in the field; throw it to the dogs.

But during the seventh year you are to let it rest and leave it uncultivated, so that the poor among your people may eat from it and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

“I will cause the people ahead of you to feel terror and throw into confusion all the nations you come to. I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you in retreat.

Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.”

Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.”

He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded.”

Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”

Anyone who blends something like it or puts some of it on an unauthorized person must be cut off from his people.”

Anyone who makes something like it to smell its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”

Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people.

When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!”

So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.

Early the next morning they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented fellowship offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to play.

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly.

The Lord also said to Moses: “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.

But Moses interceded with the Lord his God: “Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand?

Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from Your great anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for Your people.

So the Lord relented concerning the disaster He said He would bring on His people.

When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.”

Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin?”

“Don’t be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.

Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them get out of control, resulting in weakness before their enemies.

The Levites did as Moses commanded, and about 3,000 men fell dead that day among the people.

The following day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I will be able to atone for your sin.”

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a grave sin; they have made a god of gold for themselves.

Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, My angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin.”

And the Lord inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go, leave here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring.

Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”

When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry.

For the Lord said to Moses: “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.”

Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his tent, and they would watch Moses until he entered the tent.

As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent.

Moses said to the Lord, “Look, You have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’

Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.”

How will it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight unless You go with us? I and Your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”

Then he said, “My Lord, if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Even though this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wrongdoing and sin, and accept us as Your own possession.”

And the Lord responded: “Look, I am making a covenant. I will perform wonders in the presence of all your people that have never been done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people you live among will see the Lord’s work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring.

Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled people are to work based on everything the Lord has commanded. The Lord has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary.”

They took from Moses’ presence all the contributions that the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.

and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people stopped.

“If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he is to present to the Lord a young, unblemished bull as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.

“Now if any of the common people sins unintentionally by violating one of the Lord’s commands, does what is prohibited, and incurs guilt,

But the one who eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice while he is unclean, that person must be cut off from his people.

If someone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable creature, and eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice, that person must be cut off from his people.”

If anyone eats animal fat from a fire offering presented to the Lord, the person who eats it must be cut off from his people.

Whoever eats any blood, that person must be cut off from his people.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering; make atonement for yourself and the people. Sacrifice the people’s offering and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.”

Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. He came down after sacrificing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offering.

Moses and Aaron then entered the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.