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Exodus 18
New International Version
Exodus 18
New International Version
Jethro Visits Moses
18 Now Jethro,(A) the priest of Midian(B) and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.(C)
2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,(D) his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons.(E) One son was named Gershom,[a] for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;(F) 4 and the other was named Eliezer,[b](G) for he said, “My father’s God was my helper;(H) he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain(I) of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down(J) and kissed(K) him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships(L) they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved(M) them.
9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things(N) the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord,(O) who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,(P) for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”(Q) 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,(R) brought a burnt offering(S) and other sacrifices(T) to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal(U) with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence(V) of God.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.(W) 16 Whenever they have a dispute,(X) it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”(Y)
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.(Z) 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.(AA) You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes(AB) to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions,(AC) and show them the way they are to live(AD) and how they are to behave.(AE) 21 But select capable men(AF) from all the people—men who fear(AG) God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain(AH)—and appoint them as officials(AI) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case(AJ) to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share(AK) it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders(AL) of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.(AM) 26 They served as judges(AN) for the people at all times. The difficult cases(AO) they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.(AP)
27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.(AQ)
Footnotes
- Exodus 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
- Exodus 18:4 Eliezer means my God is helper.
Exodus 18
New Living Translation
Exodus 18
New Living Translation
Jethro’s Visit to Moses
18 Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt.
2 Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. 3 (Moses’ first son was named Gershom,[a] for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” 4 His second son was named Eliezer,[b] for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”
12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence.
Jethro’s Wise Advice
13 The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”
17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. 25 He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 26 These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.
27 Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.
Exodus 18
Contemporary English Version
Exodus 18
Contemporary English Version
Jethro Visits Moses
18 Jethro was the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses. He heard what the Lord God had done for Moses and his people, after rescuing them from Egypt.
2-4 (A) In the meantime, Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and her two sons to stay with Jethro, and he had welcomed them. Moses was still a foreigner in Midian when his first son was born, and so Moses said, “I'll name him Gershom.”[a]
When his second son was born, Moses said, “I'll name him Eliezer,[b] because the God my father worshiped has saved me from the king of Egypt.”[c]
5-6 While Israel was camped in the desert near Mount Sinai,[d] Jethro sent Moses this message: “I am coming to visit you, and I am bringing your wife and two sons.”
7 When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent, 8 where Moses told him everything the Lord had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the Lord had helped them in all of their troubles.
9 Jethro was so pleased to hear this good news about what the Lord had done, 10 that he shouted, “Praise the Lord! He rescued you and the Israelites from the Egyptians and their king. 11 (B) Now I know that the Lord is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies.” 12 Jethro offered sacrifices to God. Then Aaron and Israel's leaders came to eat with Jethro there at the place of worship.
Judges Are Appointed
(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)
13 The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening. 14 Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, “Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses answered, “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do. 16 They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws.”
17 Jethro replied:
That isn't the best way to do it. 18 You and the people who come to you will soon be worn out. The job is too much for one person; you can't do it alone. 19 God will help you if you follow my advice. You should be the one to speak to God for the people, 20 and you should teach them God's laws and show them what they must do to live right.
21 You will need to appoint some competent leaders who respect God and are trustworthy and honest. Then put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000. 22 These judges can handle the ordinary cases and bring the more difficult ones to you. Having them to share the load will make your work easier. 23 This is the way God wants it done. You won't be under nearly as much stress, and everyone else will return home feeling satisfied.
24 Moses followed Jethro's advice. 25 He chose some competent leaders from every tribe in Israel and put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000. 26 They served as judges, deciding the easy cases themselves, but bringing the more difficult ones to Moses.
27 After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said goodbye to each other, Jethro returned home.
Exodus 18
New American Standard Bible
Exodus 18
New American Standard Bible
Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law
18 Now (A)Jethro, 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. 2 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife (B)Zipporah, after he had sent her away, 3 and her (C)two sons, [a]one of whom was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been (D)a stranger in a foreign land.” 4 And [b]the other was named [c](E)Eliezer, for he said, “(F)The 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 [d]in the wilderness where he was camped, at (G)the mountain of God. 6 And he [e]sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7 Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and (H)he bowed down and (I)kissed him; and they (J)asked each other about their welfare, and went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians (K)for Israel’s sake, all the (L)hardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how (M)the Lord had rescued them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced over all (N)the goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, [f]in rescuing [g]them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 So Jethro said, “(O)Blessed 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. 11 Now I know that (P)the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, [h](Q)it was proven when they acted insolently against [i]the people.” 12 (R)Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat [j]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. 14 Now 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?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me (S)to inquire of God. 16 When they have a [k](T)dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 (U)You will surely wear out, both yourself and [l]these people who are with you, because the [m]task is too heavy for you; (V)you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to [n]me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. [o]You be the people’s representative before God, and you (W)bring the [p]disputes to God, 20 (X)then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them (Y)the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall [q]select out of all the people (Z)able men (AA)who fear God, men of truth, those who (AB)hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, [r]of hundreds, [s]of fifties, and [t]of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be (AC)that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and (AD)they will carry the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to [u]endure, and all [v]these people also will go to [w]their places in peace.”
24 So Moses listened [x]to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose (AE)able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, [y]of hundreds, [z]of fifties, and [aa]of tens. 26 Then they judged the people at all times; (AF)they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. 27 Then Moses [ab](AG)said goodbye to his father-in-law, and [ac]Jethro went his way to his own land.
Footnotes
- Exodus 18:3 Lit the name of the one was
- Exodus 18:4 Lit The name of the other was
- Exodus 18:4 Heb El-ezer; i.e., my God is help
- Exodus 18:5 Lit unto
- Exodus 18:6 Lit said
- Exodus 18:9 Lit in that He had delivered
- Exodus 18:9 Lit him
- Exodus 18:11 Lit in the thing in which they acted
- Exodus 18:11 Lit them
- Exodus 18:12 Lit bread
- Exodus 18:16 Lit matter
- Exodus 18:18 Lit this
- Exodus 18:18 Lit matter
- Exodus 18:19 Lit my voice
- Exodus 18:19 Lit You be for the people in front of God
- Exodus 18:19 Lit matters
- Exodus 18:21 Lit see
- Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
- Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
- Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
- Exodus 18:23 Lit stand
- Exodus 18:23 Lit this
- Exodus 18:23 Lit his
- Exodus 18:24 Lit to the voice of
- Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
- Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
- Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
- Exodus 18:27 Lit sent off his father-in-law
- Exodus 18:27 Lit he
Exodus 18
New King James Version
Exodus 18
New King James Version
Jethro’s Advice(A)
18 And (B)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that (C)God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took (D)Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 with her (E)two sons, of whom the name of one was [a]Gershom (for he said, (F)“I have been a [b]stranger in a foreign land”) 4 and the name of the other was [c]Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my (G)help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); 5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at (H)the mountain of God. 6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”
7 So Moses (I)went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and (J)kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. 8 And 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 come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had (K)delivered them. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the (L)good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, (M)“Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is (N)greater than all the gods; (O)for in the very thing in which they [d]behaved (P)proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, [e]took a burnt (Q)offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel (R)to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses (S)sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone [f]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because (T)the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have (U)a [g]difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; (V)you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you [h]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand (W)before God for the people, so that you may (X)bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall (Y)teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and (Z)the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people (AA)able men, such as (AB)fear God, (AC)men of truth, (AD)hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. (AE)Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for (AF)they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their (AG)place in peace.”
24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And (AH)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 So they judged the people at all times; the (AI)hard[i] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.
27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and (AJ)he went his way to his own land.
Footnotes
- Exodus 18:3 Lit. Stranger There
- Exodus 18:3 sojourner, temporary resident
- Exodus 18:4 Lit. My God Is Help
- Exodus 18:11 acted presumptuously
- Exodus 18:12 So with MT, LXX; Syr., Tg., Vg. offered
- Exodus 18:14 Sit as judge
- Exodus 18:16 dispute
- Exodus 18:19 advice
- Exodus 18:26 difficult matters
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.