18:1 Now 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.
18:2 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,
18:3 and her two sons, ①one of whom was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”
▷ ①Lit the name of the one was
18:4 And ①the other was named ②Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
▷ ①Lit The name of the other was ②Heb El-ezer; i.e., my God is help
18:5 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses ①in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mountain of God.
▷ ①Lit unto
18:6 And he ①sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”
▷ ①Lit said
18:7 Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other about their welfare, and went into the tent.
18:8 Moses told his father-in-law everything that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how the LORD had rescued them.
18:9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done for Israel, ①in rescuing ②them from the hand of the Egyptians.
▷ ①Lit in that He had delivered ②Lit him
18:10 So Jethro said, “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.
18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, ①it was proven when they acted insolently against ②the people.”
▷ ①Lit in the thing in which they acted ②Lit them
18:12 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 ①a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
▷ ①Lit bread
18:13 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.
18:14 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?”
18:15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
18:16 When they have a ①dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
▷ ①Lit matter
18:17 Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.
18:18 You will surely wear out, both yourself and ①these people who are with you, because the ②task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
▷ ①Lit this ②Lit matter
18:19 Now listen to ①me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. ②You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the ③disputes to God,
▷ ①Lit my voice ②Lit You be for the people in front of God ③Lit matters
18:20 then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.
18:21 Furthermore, you shall ①select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, ②of hundreds, ③of fifties, and ④of tens.
▷ ①Lit see ②Lit leaders of ③Lit leaders of ④Lit leaders of
18:22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be 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 they will carry the burden with you.
18:23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to ①endure, and all ②these people also will go to ③their places in peace.”
▷ ①Lit stand ②Lit this ③Lit his
18:24 So Moses listened ①to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said.
▷ ①Lit to the voice of
18:25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, ①of hundreds, ②of fifties, and ③of tens.
▷ ①Lit leaders of ②Lit leaders of ③Lit leaders of
18:26 Then they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves.
18:27 Then Moses ①said goodbye to his father-in-law, and ②Jethro went his way to his own land.
▷ ①Lit sent off his father-in-law ②Lit he