¹ 住南地的迦南人亞拉得王，聽說以色列人從亞他林路來，就和以色列人爭戰，擄了他們幾個人。

² 以色列人向耶和華發願說：你若將這民交付我手，我就把他們的城邑盡行毀滅。

³ 耶和華應允了以色列人，把迦南人交付他們，他們就把迦南人和迦南人的城邑盡行毀滅。那地方的名便叫何珥瑪（何珥瑪就是毀滅的意思）。

⁴ 他們從何珥山起行，往紅海那條路走，要繞過以東地。百姓因這路難行，心中甚是煩躁，

⁵ 就怨讟神和摩西說：你們為甚麼把我們從埃及領出來、使我們死在曠野呢？這裡沒有糧，沒有水，我們的心厭惡這淡薄的食物。

⁶ 於是耶和華使火蛇進入百姓中間，蛇就咬他們。以色列人中死了許多。

⁷ 百姓到摩西那裡，說：我們怨讟耶和華和你，有罪了。求你禱告耶和華，叫這些蛇離開我們。於是摩西為百姓禱告。

⁸ 耶和華對摩西說：你製造一條火蛇，掛在杆子上；凡被咬的，一望這蛇，就必得活。

⁹ 摩西便製造一條銅蛇，掛在杆子上；凡被蛇咬的，一望這銅蛇就活了。

¹⁰ 以色列人起行，安營在阿伯。

¹¹ 又從阿伯起行，安營在以耶亞巴琳，與摩押相對的曠野，向日出之地。

¹² 從那裡起行，安營在撒烈谷。

¹³ 從那裡起行，安營在亞嫩河那邊。這亞嫩河是在曠野，從亞摩利的境界流出來的；原來亞嫩河是摩押的邊界，在摩押和亞摩利人搭界的地方。

¹⁴ 所以耶和華的戰記上說：蘇法的哇哈伯與亞嫩河的谷，

¹⁵ 並向亞珥城眾谷的下坡，是靠近摩押的境界。

¹⁶ 以色列人從那裡起行，到了比珥（比珥就是井的意思）。從前耶和華吩咐摩西說：招聚百姓，我好給他們水喝，說的就是這井。

¹⁷ 當時，以色列人唱歌說：井阿，湧上水來！你們要向這井歌唱。

¹⁸ 這井是首領和民中的尊貴人用圭用杖所挖所掘的。以色列人從曠野往瑪他拿去，

¹⁹ 從瑪他拿到拿哈列，從拿哈列到巴末，

²⁰ 從巴末到了摩押地的谷，又到那下望曠野之毘斯迦的山頂。

²¹ 以色列人差遣使者去見亞摩利人的王西宏，說：

²² 求你容我們從你的地經過；我們不偏入田間和葡萄園，也不喝井裡的水，只走大道（原文作王道），直到過了你的境界。

²³ 西宏不容以色列人從他的境界經過，就招聚他的眾民出到曠野，要攻擊以色列人，到了雅雜與以色列人爭戰。

²⁴ 以色列人用刀殺了他，得了他的地，從亞嫩河到雅博河，直到亞捫人的境界，因為亞捫人的境界多有堅壘。

²⁵ 以色列人奪取這一切的城邑，也住亞摩利人的城邑，就是希實本與希實本的一切鄉村。

²⁶ 這希實本是亞摩利王西宏的京城；西宏曾與摩押的先王爭戰，從他手中奪取了全地，直到亞嫩河。

²⁷ 所以那些作詩歌的說：你們來到希實本；願西宏的城被修造，被建立。

²⁸ 因為有火從希實本發出，有火燄出於西宏的城，燒盡摩押的亞珥和亞嫩河邱壇的祭司（祭司原文作主）。

²⁹ 摩押阿，你有禍了！基抹的民哪，你們滅亡了！基抹的男子逃奔，女子被擄，交付亞摩利的王西宏。

³⁰ 我們射了他們；希實本直到底本盡皆毀滅。我們使地變成荒場，直到挪法；這挪法直延到米底巴。

³¹ 這樣，以色列人就住在亞摩利人之地。

³² 摩西打發人去窺探雅謝，以色列人就佔了雅謝的鎮市，趕出那裡的亞摩利人。

³³ 以色列人轉回，向巴珊去。巴珊王噩和他的眾民都出來，在以得來與他們交戰。

³⁴ 耶和華對摩西說：不要怕他！因我已將他和他的眾民，並他的地，都交在你手中；你要待他像從前待住希實本的亞摩利王西宏一般。

³⁵ 於是他們殺了他和他的眾子，並他的眾民，沒有留下一個，就得了他的地。

¹ Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.

² Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

³ and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land".

⁴ The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword."

⁵ Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

⁶ He said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her."

⁷ Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

⁸ Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them.

⁹ Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰ Jethro said, "Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

¹¹ Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them."

¹² Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all of the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

¹³ It happened on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

¹⁴ When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?"

¹⁵ Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

¹⁶ When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws."

¹⁷ Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.

¹⁸ You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

¹⁹ Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

²⁰ You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

²¹ Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

²² Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

²³ If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all of these people also will go to their place in peace."

²⁴ So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

²⁵ 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.

²⁶ They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

²⁷ Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.