Exodus 18
18
Jethro Visits Moses
1Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was the priest of Midian. He heard about everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel. Jethro heard how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2Moses had sent his wife Zipporah to his father-in-law. So Jethro welcomed her 3and her two sons. One son was named Gershom. That’s because Moses had said, “I’m an outsider in a strange land.” 4The other was named Eliezer. That’s because Moses had said, “My father’s God helped me. He saved me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5Moses’ father-in-law Jethro came to Moses in the desert. Moses’ sons and wife came with Jethro. Moses was camped near the mountain of God. 6Jethro had sent a message to him. It said, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you. I’m bringing your wife and her two sons.”
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. Moses bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other. Then they went into the tent. 8Moses told Jethro everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Lord did all of this because of how much he loved Israel. Moses told Jethro about all their hard times along the way. He told him about how the Lord had saved them.
9Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel. He heard about how God had saved them from the power of the Egyptians. 10He said, “I praise the Lord. He saved you and your people from the power of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh. 11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods. See what he did to those who looked down on Israel.” 12Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel. They ate a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the sight of God.
13The next day Moses took his seat to serve the people as their judge. They stood around him from morning until evening. 14His father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people. So he said, “Aren’t you trying to do too much for the people? You are the only judge. And all these people are standing around you from morning until evening.”
15Moses answered, “The people come to me to find out what God wants them to do. 16Anytime they don’t agree with one another, they come to me. I decide between them. I tell them about God’s rules and instructions.”
17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing isn’t good. 18You will just get worn out. And so will these people who come to you. There’s too much work for you. You can’t possibly handle it by yourself. 19Listen to me. I’ll give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must speak to God for the people. Take their problems to him. 20Teach them his rules and instructions. Show them how to live and what to do. 21But choose men of ability from all the people. They must have respect for God. You must be able to trust them. They must not try to get money by cheating others. Appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22Let them serve the people as judges. But have them bring every hard case to you. They can decide the easy ones themselves. That will make your load lighter. They will share it with you. 23If this is what God wants and if you do it, then you will be able to carry the load. And all these people will go home satisfied.”
24Moses listened to his father-in-law. He did everything Jethro said. 25He chose men of ability from the whole community of Israel. He made them leaders of the people. They became officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses. But they decided the easy ones themselves.
27Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro returned to his own country.
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Exodus 18: NIrV
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Exodus 18
18
Jethro’s Visit
1Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian,#Ex 2:16,18; 3:1 heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.
2Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah,#Ex 2:21; 4:25 Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, 3along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom#18:3 In Hb the name Gershom sounds like the phrase “a stranger there.” (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”)#Ex 2:22; 4:20; Ac 7:29 4and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword”).#18:4 = My God Is Help
5Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, along with Moses’s wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.#Ex 3:1; 1Ch 23:15 6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down,#Gn 29:13; Ex 18:2 and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been#18:7 Lit other about well-being and went into the tent. 8Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord rescued them.#Ex 15:6,16; Ps 81:7
9Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. 10“Blessed be the Lord,”#Gn 14:20; 2Sm 18:28 Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt! 11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”#18:11 Hb obscure#2Ch 2:5; Lk 1:51
12Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’s father-in-law in God’s presence.
13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”#Ex 24:14; Lv 24:12; Nm 15:34; Dt 17:8
17“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. 18“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.#Ex 3:12; 4:16; Nm 27:5 19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. 20Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.#Dt 1:18; 5:1; Ps 143:8 21But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit.#Ex 18:8; Dt 16:19; Ac 6:3 Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.#Dt 1:15; 2Ch 19:5–10 22They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,#18:22 Lit lighten from on you and they will bear it with you.#Lv 24:11; Nm 11:17; Dt 1:17 23If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”#18:23 Lit go to their place in peace
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.
27Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land.#Ex 18:22; Nm 10:29–30; Dt 1:15
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