Exodus 18
Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law
1Now aJethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife bZipporah, after he had sent her away, 3and her ctwo sons, of whom ▼▼ Lit the name of the one was
one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been ea ▼▼ Heb ger
sojourner in a foreign land.” 4 ▼▼ Lit The name of the other was
The other was named ▼▼ Heb El-ezer; i.e. my God is help
,
iEliezer, for he said, j“The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses ▼▼ Lit unto
in the wilderness where he was camped, at lthe mount of God. 6He ▼▼ Lit said
sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and nhe bowed down and okissed him; and they pasked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians qfor Israel’s sake, all the rhardship that had befallen them on the journey, and how sthe Lord had delivered them. 9Jethro rejoiced over all tthe goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, ▼▼ Lit in that He had delivered
in delivering ▼▼ Lit him
them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10So Jethro said, w“Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11“Now I know that xthe Lord is greater than all the gods; ▼▼ Lit indeed, in the thing in which they
indeed, zit was proven when they dealt proudly against ▼▼ Lit them
the people.” 12 abThen Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat ▼▼ Lit bread
a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God. 13It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me adto inquire of God. 16“When they have a ▼▼ Lit matter
,
afdispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” Jethro Counsels Moses
17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 ag“You will surely wear out, both yourself and ▼▼ Lit this
these people who are with you, for the ▼▼ Lit matter
task is too heavy for you; ajyou cannot do it alone. 19“Now listen to ▼▼ Lit my voice
me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. ▼▼ Lit You be for the people in front of God
You be the people’s representative before God, and you ambring the ▼▼ Lit matters
disputes to God, 20 aothen teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them apthe way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21“Furthermore, you shall ▼▼ Lit see
select out of all the people arable men aswho fear God, men of truth, those who athate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, ▼▼ Lit leaders of
of hundreds, ▼▼ Lit leaders of
of fifties and ▼▼ Lit leaders of
of tens. 22“Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be axthat every major ▼▼ Lit matter
dispute they will bring to you, but every minor ▼▼ Lit matter
dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and bathey will bear the burden with you. 23“If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to ▼▼ Lit stand
endure, and all ▼▼ Lit this
these people also will go to ▼▼ Lit his
their place in peace.” 24So Moses listened ▼▼ Lit to the voice of
to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25Moses chose bfable men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, ▼▼ Lit leaders of
of hundreds, ▼▼ Lit leaders of
of fifties and ▼▼ Lit leaders of
of tens. 26They judged the people at all times; bjthe difficult ▼▼ Lit matter
dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor ▼▼ Lit matter
dispute they themselves would judge. 27Then Moses ▼▼ Lit sent off his father-in-law
,
bnbade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.
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