Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Print Page Options Listen to 出埃及記 17-18
Close CCBT

出埃及記 17-18
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

磐石出水

17 以色列全體會眾按照耶和華的吩咐，從汛曠野啟程，一程一程往前行，來到利非訂安營，可是那裡沒有水喝。 2 百姓便跟摩西吵鬧，要他給他們水喝。摩西便對他們說：「你們為什麼跟我吵鬧？為什麼試探耶和華？」 3 百姓非常口渴，他們向摩西抱怨說：「你為什麼要把我們帶出埃及，讓我們一家大小和牲畜都在這裡渴死？」

4 摩西就呼求耶和華說：「我拿這些百姓怎麼辦？他們準備拿石塊打死我！」 5 耶和華對摩西說：「你帶著之前擊打尼羅河水的杖，率領以色列的幾個長老走在眾人前面。 6 我必在何烈的磐石那裡等候你們，你用杖擊打磐石，磐石必流出水來給眾人喝。」摩西便當著以色列長老的面這樣做了。 7 摩西稱那地方為瑪撒和米利巴[a]，因為百姓在那裡吵鬧，又試探耶和華，說：「耶和華真的在我們當中嗎？」

戰勝亞瑪力人

8 後來，亞瑪力人到利非訂攻打以色列人。 9 摩西對約書亞說：「選一些人出去迎戰亞瑪力人。明天，我會帶著上帝的杖站在山頂上。」 10 約書亞便遵照摩西的吩咐迎戰亞瑪力人，摩西、亞倫和戶珥站在山頂上。 11 摩西什麼時候舉手，以色列人就得勝；他的手什麼時候垂下來，亞瑪力人就佔上風。 12 不久，摩西的手疲倦發軟，亞倫和戶珥就抬來一塊石頭讓摩西坐下，然後站在他的兩邊扶著他的手，他就穩穩地舉著手，直到日落。 13 這樣，約書亞用刀殺敗了亞瑪力人。

14 耶和華對摩西說：「我要抹去世人對亞瑪力人的記憶。你要把這話記在書卷上作紀念，也要把這話告訴約書亞。」 15 摩西在那裡築了一座壇，稱之為耶和華尼西[b]。 16 摩西說：「耶和華已經起誓要世代與亞瑪力人為敵。」

葉忒羅看望摩西

18 摩西的岳父——米甸的祭司葉忒羅，聽說上帝為摩西和祂的子民以色列人所做的一切事——如何帶領他們離開埃及， 2 就帶著女兒西坡拉和兩個外孫去見摩西。西坡拉是摩西的妻子，摩西曾讓她回娘家暫時居住。 3 摩西的兩個兒子一個叫革舜，因為摩西說：「我成了在異鄉寄居的人」； 4 一個叫以利以謝，因為摩西說：「我父親的上帝幫助我，從法老的刀下拯救了我。」 5 摩西的岳父葉忒羅帶著摩西的妻子和兩個兒子來到上帝的山，就是摩西在曠野安營的地方。 6 葉忒羅事先差人把他帶著摩西的妻子和兩個兒子要來的消息通知摩西。 7 摩西出去迎接岳父，向他下拜，與他親吻，彼此問安，然後大家都進了帳篷。 8 摩西把耶和華為拯救以色列人而向法老和埃及人所行的事，以及怎樣救百姓脫離路上遇見的種種困難，都告訴了葉忒羅。 9 葉忒羅為耶和華恩待以色列人、把他們救出埃及而高興， 10 便說：「耶和華當受稱頌，因為祂從埃及人和法老手中拯救了你們，把這百姓從埃及人手中拯救了出來。 11 我現在知道，耶和華比一切神明都偉大，因為祂懲治了虐待這些百姓的狂妄之徒。」

12 摩西的岳父葉忒羅說完，便向上帝獻燔祭及其他祭物。亞倫和以色列的長老都來與他一起在上帝面前吃飯。

13 第二天，摩西坐著審理百姓的糾紛，百姓從早到晚都站在摩西周圍。 14 摩西的岳父葉忒羅看見摩西對百姓所行的一切，就對摩西說：「你為什麼這樣處理百姓的事？為什麼你獨自坐著，眾百姓從早到晚都站在你周圍？」 15 摩西對岳父說：「他們是來求問上帝的， 16 我親自審理他們中間的是非，教他們認識上帝的律例和法度。」 17 摩西的岳父葉忒羅勸摩西說：「這不是好方法， 18 你和這些百姓都會疲憊不堪，你一個人無法擔當如此繁重的工作。 19 你要聽我的勸告，願上帝與你同在。你要做百姓的代表，把案件奏明上帝， 20 又要教導他們律例和法度，指示他們當行的道、當做的事。 21 此外，要在百姓當中挑選一些敬畏上帝、有才幹、誠實、正直、憎惡不義之財的人，派他們做千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長和十夫長，管理百姓。 22 讓他們隨時為百姓判案，處理小糾紛，遇到大事才由你審理。有他們分擔你的責任，你會更輕省。 23 如果你這樣做，並且上帝也這樣吩咐你，你就能承受得住，百姓也可以平安地回家。」

24 於是，摩西接納了岳父的建議，依言而行， 25 從百姓中挑選有才幹的人，委派他們做千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長和十夫長管理百姓。 26 他們負責隨時審理百姓的事，遇到難斷的案件就呈到摩西那裡，自己則審理普通的事。 27 之後，摩西送岳父上路，他就返回了家鄉。

Footnotes

  1. 17·7 「瑪撒」意思是「試探」；「米利巴」意思是「爭鬧」。
  2. 17·15 「耶和華尼西」意思是「耶和華是我的旌旗」。
Listen to Exodus 17-18
Close NIV

Exodus 17-18
New International Version

Water From the Rock

17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin,(A) traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim,(B) but there was no water(C) for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water(D) to drink.”(E)

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”(F)

3 But the people were thirsty(G) for water there, and they grumbled(H) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die(I) of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone(J) me.”

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff(K) with which you struck the Nile,(L) and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.(M) Strike(N) the rock, and water(O) will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah[a](P) and Meribah[b](Q) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Amalekites Defeated

8 The Amalekites(R) came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.(S) 9 Moses said to Joshua,(T) “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff(U) of God in my hands.”

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur(V) went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,(W) but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.(X) 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite(Y) army with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write(Z) this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out(AA) the name of Amalek(AB) from under heaven.”

15 Moses built an altar(AC) and called(AD) it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites(AE) from generation to generation.”(AF)

Jethro Visits Moses

18 Now Jethro,(AG) the priest of Midian(AH) and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.(AI)

2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,(AJ) his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons.(AK) One son was named Gershom,[e] for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;(AL) 4 and the other was named Eliezer,[f](AM) for he said, “My father’s God was my helper;(AN) he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain(AO) of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down(AP) and kissed(AQ) him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships(AR) they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved(AS) them.

9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things(AT) the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord,(AU) who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,(AV) for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”(AW) 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,(AX) brought a burnt offering(AY) and other sacrifices(AZ) to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal(BA) with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence(BB) of God.

13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.(BC) 16 Whenever they have a dispute,(BD) it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”(BE)

17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.(BF) 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.(BG) You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes(BH) to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions,(BI) and show them the way they are to live(BJ) and how they are to behave.(BK) 21 But select capable men(BL) from all the people—men who fear(BM) God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain(BN)—and appoint them as officials(BO) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case(BP) to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share(BQ) it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders(BR) of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.(BS) 26 They served as judges(BT) for the people at all times. The difficult cases(BU) they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.(BV)

27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.(BW)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
  2. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
  3. Exodus 17:16 Or to
  4. Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  5. Exodus 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
  6. Exodus 18:4 Eliezer means my God is helper.
Listen to Exodus 17-18
Close KJV

Exodus 17-18
King James Version

17 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.

2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?

3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

16 For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

18 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7 And 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.

8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.

9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, 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.

11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

12 And 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.

13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14 And 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 by thee from morning unto even?

15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22 And 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: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25 And 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.

26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

Listen to Exodus 17-18
Close NKJV

Exodus 17-18
New King James Version

Water from the Rock(A)

17 Then (B)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of (C)Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to (D)drink. 2 (E)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you (F)tempt the Lord?”

3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people (G)complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our (H)livestock with thirst?”

4 So Moses (I)cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to (J)stone[a] me!”

5 And the Lord said to Moses, (K)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which (L)you struck the river, and go. 6 (M)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place (N)Massah[b] and [c]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they [d]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Victory over the Amalekites(O)

8 (P)Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with (Q)the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses (R)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became [e]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, (S)“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that (T)I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [f]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [g]the Lord has (U)sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro’s Advice(V)

18 And (W)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that (X)God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took (Y)Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 with her (Z)two sons, of whom the name of one was [h]Gershom (for he said, (AA)“I have been a [i]stranger in a foreign land”) 4 and the name of the other was [j]Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my (AB)help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); 5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at (AC)the mountain of God. 6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

7 So Moses (AD)went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and (AE)kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had (AF)delivered them. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the (AG)good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, (AH)“Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is (AI)greater than all the gods; (AJ)for in the very thing in which they [k]behaved (AK)proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, [l]took a burnt (AL)offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel (AM)to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses (AN)sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone [m]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because (AO)the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have (AP)a [n]difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; (AQ)you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you [o]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand (AR)before God for the people, so that you may (AS)bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall (AT)teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and (AU)the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people (AV)able men, such as (AW)fear God, (AX)men of truth, (AY)hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. (AZ)Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for (BA)they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their (BB)place in peace.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And (BC)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. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the (BD)hard[p] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and (BE)he went his way to his own land.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:4 Put me to death by stoning
  2. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Tempted
  3. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Contention
  4. Exodus 17:7 tested
  5. Exodus 17:12 Weary of being held up
  6. Exodus 17:15 Heb. YHWH Nissi
  7. Exodus 17:16 Lit. a hand is upon the throne of the Lord
  8. Exodus 18:3 Lit. Stranger There
  9. Exodus 18:3 sojourner, temporary resident
  10. Exodus 18:4 Lit. My God Is Help
  11. Exodus 18:11 acted presumptuously
  12. Exodus 18:12 So with MT, LXX; Syr., Tg., Vg. offered
  13. Exodus 18:14 Sit as judge
  14. Exodus 18:16 dispute
  15. Exodus 18:19 advice
  16. Exodus 18:26 difficult matters
Listen to Exodus 17-18
Close ESV

Exodus 17-18
English Standard Version

Water from the Rock

17 (A)All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 (B)Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you (C)test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and (D)the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready (E)to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with (F)which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 (G)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place (H)Massah[a] and (I)Meribah,[b] because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Israel Defeats Amalek

8 (J)Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to (K)Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with (L)the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So (M)Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and (N)Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses (O)held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and (P)Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And (Q)Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of (R)Joshua, that (S)I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses (T)built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne[c] of the Lord! (U)The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro's Advice

18 (V)Jethro, (W)the 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. 2 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her (X)two sons. The name of the one was Gershom ((Y)for he said, (Z)“I have been a sojourner[d] in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer[e] (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the (AA)mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I,[f] your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses (AB)went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and (AC)kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law (AD)all 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. 9 And 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.

10 Jethro said, (AE)“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. 11 Now I know that (AF)the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they (AG)dealt arrogantly with the people.”[g] 12 And 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 (AH)before God.

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When 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?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because (AI)the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 (AJ)when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I (AK)make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. (AL)You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall (AM)represent the people before God and (AN)bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know (AO)the way in which they must walk and (AP)what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for (AQ)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. 22 And (AR)let them judge the people at all times. (AS)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 (AT)bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be (AU)able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 (AV)Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And (AW)they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and (AX)he went away to his own country.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing
  2. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling
  3. Exodus 17:16 A slight change would yield upon the banner
  4. Exodus 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner
  5. Exodus 18:4 Eliezer means My God is help
  6. Exodus 18:6 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac behold
  7. Exodus 18:11 Hebrew with them
Next
出埃及記 16
出埃及記 19
Next
dropdown
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional) (CCBT)

By Biblica

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Learn the Bible in 30 days
English Standard Version (ESV)

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

ESV Study Bible