Yitro

Jethro, priest of Midian, hears all that God has done and brings Moses' wife Zipporah and two sons out to the camp at the mountain of God. Hearing the story of the exodus firsthand, he rejoices — "now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods" — and offers sacrifices, and eats bread with Aaron and the elders before God.

Watching Moses judge the people alone from morning to evening, Jethro tells him plainly: "the thing you are doing is not good — you will surely wear yourself out." He counsels a structure: teach the people the statutes, and set capable, God-fearing, honest men as chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, so that every great matter comes to Moses and every small matter is judged locally. Moses listens and does it, and Jethro returns to his own land.

In the third month Israel camps before Sinai, and God calls from the mountain: "You have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I bore you on eagles' wings... you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." The people answer as one, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." After three days of preparation and a boundary set around the mountain, Sinai is wrapped in smoke, fire, thunder, and the growing blast of a shofar — and God speaks the Ten Words: no other gods, no carved images, the Name not taken in vain, the Sabbath remembered, parents honored, and murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting forbidden. The trembling people ask Moses to speak with them instead, and Moses draws near the thick darkness. The portion closes with the law of the simple altar — earth or unhewn stone, without steps.