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97  Lord, how I love your law! ♦︎
   All the day long it is my study.
98  Your commandments have made me wiser than my enemies, ♦︎
   for they are ever with me.
99  I have more understanding than all my teachers, ♦︎
   for your testimonies are my meditation.
100  I am wiser than the aged, ♦︎
   because I keep your commandments.
101  I restrain my feet from every evil way, ♦︎
   that I may keep your word.
102  I have not turned aside from your judgements, ♦︎
   for you have been my teacher.
103  How sweet are your words on my tongue! ♦︎
   They are sweeter than honey to my mouth.
104  Through your commandments I get understanding; ♦︎
   therefore I hate all lying ways.

Jethro’s Advice

18Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro took her back, ³along with her two sons. The name of one was Gershom (for he said, ‘I have been an alien^* in a foreign land’), ⁴and the name of the other, Eliezer^* (for he said, ‘The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh’). ⁵Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came into the wilderness where Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, bringing Moses’ sons and wife to him. ⁶He sent word to Moses, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.’ ⁷Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed down and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent. ⁸Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had beset them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. ⁹Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. ¹¹Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians,^* when they dealt arrogantly with them.’ ¹²And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt-offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

²⁷To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.

2For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. ²I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself,^{* 3}in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. ⁵For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Fullness of Life in Christ

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives^* in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.