Exodus 18
18
Jethro’s Advice
1 # [ch. 2:18] Jethro, #ver. 12; ch. 2:16the 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 #ch. 4:20; Acts 7:29 two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (#ch. 2:22 for he said, #Ps. 39:12; Heb. 11:13“I have been a sojourner#18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner in a foreign land”), 4and the name of the other, Eliezer#18:4 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 #See ch. 3:1mountain of God. 6And when he sent word to Moses, “I,#18:6 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac behold your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7Moses #Gen. 14:17; 18:2; 19:1; 1 Kgs. 2:19 went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and #[Gen. 29:13; 33:4]; 2 Sam. 19:39kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8Then Moses told his father-in-law #See Neh. 9:9-15; Ps. 78:12-28, 42-53; 106:7-12all 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, #Gen. 14:20; 2 Sam. 18:28; Luke 1:68“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 #1 Chr. 16:25; 2 Chr. 2:5; Ps. 95:3; 97:9; 135:5 the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they #Neh. 9:10; [Ps. 119:21; Dan. 4:37; Luke 1:51]dealt arrogantly with the people.”#18:11 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 #Deut. 12:7; 14:26; 1 Chr. 29:22; [ch. 24:11; Gen. 31:54]before 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 #[Lev. 24:12; Num. 15:34]the people come to me to inquire of God; 16#ch. 24:14; Deut. 17:8; [2 Sam. 15:2, 3; 1 Cor. 6:1] when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I #Deut. 4:5; 5:1make 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. #Num. 11:14, 17; Deut. 1:9, 12You are not able to do it alone. 19Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall #ch. 4:16; [ch. 20:19; Deut. 5:5] represent the people before God and #Num. 27:5bring their cases to God, 20and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know #Ps. 143:8 the way in which they must walk and #Deut. 1:18what they must do. 21Moreover, look for #Deut. 1:15; 16:18; See 2 Chr. 19:5-10; [Acts 6:3]able 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 #ver. 26 let them judge the people at all times. #Lev. 24:11; Num. 15:33; 27:2; 36:1; Deut. 1:17; 17:8 Every 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 #Num. 11:17bear the burden with you. 23If you do this, God will direct you, you will be #ver. 18able 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#Deut. 1:15Moses 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 #ver. 22they 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 #[Num. 10:29, 30]he went away to his own country.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Exodus 18
18
1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, 3and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land: 4and the name of the other was Eliezer; for he said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. 5And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God: 6and he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. 7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him: and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. 8And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how Jehovah delivered them. 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Jehovah had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; yea, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly against them. 12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even? 15And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: 16when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17And Moses’ father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God: 20and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace. 24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. 25And 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. 26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
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