Exodus 18
Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law
1 Now aJethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife bZipporah, after he had sent her away, 3and her ctwo sons, ▼▼Lit the name of the one was
one of whom was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been ea stranger in a foreign land.” 4And ▼▼Lit The name of the other was
the other was named ▼▼Heb El-ezer; i.e., my God is help
,
hEliezer, for he said, “ iThe God of my father was my help, and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses ▼
▼Lit unto
in the wilderness where he was camped, at kthe mountain of God. 6And he ▼▼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 mhe bowed down and nkissed him; and they oasked each other about their welfare, and went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians pfor Israel’s sake, all the qhardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how rthe Lord had rescued them. 9And Jethro rejoiced over all sthe goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, ▼▼Lit in that He had delivered
in rescuing ▼▼Lit him
them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10So Jethro said, “ vBlessed be the Lord who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that wthe Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, ▼▼Lit in the thing in which they acted
,
yit was proven when they acted insolently against ▼▼Lit them
the people.” 12 aaThen 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. Jethro Counsels Moses
13 And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before 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 before you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me acto inquire of God. 16When they have a ▼▼Lit matter
,
aedispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 afYou will surely wear out, both yourself and ▼▼Lit this
these people who are with you, because the ▼▼Lit matter
task is too heavy for you; aiyou cannot do it alone. 19Now 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 albring the ▼▼Lit matters
disputes to God, 20 anthen admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them aothe way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21Furthermore, you shall ▼▼Lit see
select out of all the people aqable men arwho fear God, men of truth, those who ashate 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. 22Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be awthat they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and axthey will carry the burden with you. 23If 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 places in peace.” 24 So Moses listened ▼
▼Lit to the voice of
to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25Moses chose bcable 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. 26Then they judged the people at all times; bgthey would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. 27Then Moses ▼▼Lit sent off his father-in-law
,
bisaid goodbye to his father-in-law, and ▼▼Lit he
Jethro went his way to his own land.
Copyright information for
NASB2020