Exodus 18
Jethro’s Advice
1 aJethro, bthe 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. 2Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3along with her ctwo sons. The name of the one was Gershom ( dfor he said, e“I have been a sojourner ▼ in a foreign land”), 4and the name of the other, Eliezer ▼▼ Eliezer means My God is help
(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 with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the hmountain of God. 6And when he sent word to Moses, “I, ▼▼Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac behold
your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7Moses jwent out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kkissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8Then Moses told his father-in-law lall that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10Jethro 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 has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that nthe Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they odealt arrogantly with the people.” ▼▼Hebrew 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 qbefore God. 13The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because rthe people come to me to inquire of God; 16 swhen they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I tmake them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. uYou are not able to do it alone. 19Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall vrepresent the people before God and wbring their cases to God, 20and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know xthe way in which they must walk and ywhat they must do. 21Moreover, look for zable men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22And aalet them judge the people at all times. abEvery great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will acbear the burden with you. 23If you do this, God will direct you, you will be adable to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” 24So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 aeMoses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26And afthey judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and aghe went away to his own country.
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