¹And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lᴏʀᴅ had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, ³with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”) ⁴and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); ⁵and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. ⁶Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” ⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. ⁸And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lᴏʀᴅ had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lᴏʀᴅ had delivered them. ⁹Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lᴏʀᴅ had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lᴏʀᴅ, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹Now I know that the Lᴏʀᴅ is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” ¹²Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. ¹³And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.” ¹⁷So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. ¹⁸Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. ¹⁹Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. ²⁰And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. ²¹Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²²And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. ²³If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.” ²⁴So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. ²⁷Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

¹And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ²and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. ³So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” ⁵Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, ⁶“These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” ⁷So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” ⁸And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. ⁹But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” ¹⁰Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. ¹²But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. ¹³But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. ¹⁴Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. ¹⁶You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. ¹⁸But not a hair of your head shall be lost. ¹⁹By your patience possess your souls. ²⁰“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. ²¹Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. ²²For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. ²⁴And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ²⁵“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” ²⁹Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. ³¹So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. ³⁴“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” ³⁷And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. ³⁸Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

¹Elihu also proceeded and said: ²“Bear with me a little, and I will show you That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf. ³I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. ⁴For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. ⁵“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. ⁶He does not preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to the oppressed. ⁷He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted. ⁸And if they are bound in fetters, Held in the cords of affliction, ⁹Then He tells them their work and their transgressions— That they have acted defiantly. ¹⁰He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity. ¹¹If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. ¹²But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. ¹³“But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them. ¹⁴They die in youth, And their life ends among the perverted persons. ¹⁵He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression. ¹⁶“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness. ¹⁷But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you. ¹⁸Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. ¹⁹Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress? ²⁰Do not desire the night, When people are cut off in their place. ²¹Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than affliction. ²²“Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him? ²³Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’? ²⁴“Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung. ²⁵Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar. ²⁶“Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. ²⁷For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, ²⁸Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. ²⁹Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? ³⁰Look, He scatters his light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. ³¹For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. ³²He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. ³³His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.

¹We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, ⁷by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. ¹¹O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. ¹²You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. ¹³Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. ¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” ¹⁷Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” ¹⁸“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”