Exodus 18

Modern

Literal

The Visit of Jethro

¹Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro,^a the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

¹And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, that YHWH had brought Israel out from Egypt.

²After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,

²And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, wife of Moses, after he had sent her back,

³along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom,^a for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

³and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

⁴The other son was named Eliezer,^a for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

⁴And the name of the one was Eliezer, for, “The God of my father was my help and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

⁵Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

⁵And Jethro father-in-law of Moses came—and his sons and his wife—to Moses, to the wilderness, where he was camping at the mountain of God.

⁶He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

⁶And he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons with her.”

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.

⁷And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed himself and kissed him, and they asked, each man to his neighbor, of their welfare, and they went into the tent.

⁸Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

⁸And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that YHWH had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for the sake of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how YHWH had delivered them.

⁹And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.

⁹And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that YHWH had done for Israel, that He had delivered them from the hand of Egypt.

¹⁰Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰And Jethro said, “Blessed be YHWH, who delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.

¹¹Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

¹¹Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the gods, for in the matter in which they acted proudly He was above them.”

¹²Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro 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 in the presence of God.

¹²And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before the face of God.

Jethro Advises Moses

¹³The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.

¹³And it came to pass on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.

¹⁴When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁴And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing to the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.

¹⁵And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

¹⁶“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”

¹⁶When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and between his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

¹⁷But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.

¹⁷And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.

¹⁸Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.

¹⁸You will surely wear out, both you and this people who are with you. For this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

¹⁹Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.

¹⁹Now listen to my voice; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You must be for the people before God, and you—you shall bring the matters to God.

²⁰Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.

²⁰And you shall warn them of the statutes and of the laws and you shall make known to them the way in which they shall walk, and the work that they shall do.

²¹Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

²¹And you—you shall see from all the people men of valor, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of dishonest gain—and you shall appoint these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

²²Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.

²²And they shall judge the people at all times. And it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, and every small matter they shall judge themselves. And it will be lightened from you, and they will bear up with you.

²³If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”

²³If you do this thing, and God commands you, then you will be able to endure, and also all this people will go to its place in peace.”

²⁴Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

²⁴And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said.

²⁵So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

²⁵And Moses chose men of valor out of all Israel, and he appointed 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 times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.

²⁶And they judged the people at all times; the hard matter they would bring to Moses, and every small matter they would judge themselves.

²⁷Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.

²⁷And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he went on his way to his land.