Exodus 18
New Living Translation
Jethro’s Visit to Moses
18 Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt.
2 Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. 3 (Moses’ first son was named Gershom,[a] for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” 4 His second son was named Eliezer,[b] for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”
12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence.
Jethro’s Wise Advice
13 The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”
17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. 25 He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 26 These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.
27 Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.
Exodus 18
Lexham English Bible
Jethro’s Visit to Moses at the Mountain of God
18 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, that Yahweh had brought Israel out from Egypt. 2 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah the wife of Moses after her sending away, 3 and her two sons—the one whose name was Gershom, for he had said, “I have been an alien in a foreign land,” 4 and the one whose name was Eliezer, for “the God of my father was my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came and his sons and his wife to Moses, to the desert where he was camping there at the mountain of God. 6 And he said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you and your wife and her two sons with her.” 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed, and he kissed him, and they each asked about the other’s welfare,[a] and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel when he delivered them from the hand of Egypt. 10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh—who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. 11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, even in the matter where they the Egyptians dealt arrogantly against the Israelites.”[b] 12 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God.
13 And[c] the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone and all the people are standing by you from morning until evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God. 16 When they have an issue,[d] it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God’s rule and his instructions.”
17 And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who are with you, because the thing is too difficult[e] for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God. 20 And you warn them of the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. 21 And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain,[f] and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. 22 And let them judge the people all the time, and[g] every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And so lighten it for yourself, and they will bear it with you. 23 If you will do this thing and God will command you, then you will be able to endure, and also each of the people will go to his home[h] in peace.”
24 And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them as heads over the people, as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. 26 And they judged the people all the time; the difficult issues[i] they would bring to Moses, and every minor issue they would judge themselves. 27 And Moses let his father-in-law go, and he went to his land.
Footnotes
- Exodus 18:7 Literally “they asked a man to his neighbor to welfare”
- Exodus 18:11 Literally “because in the thing that they dealt arrogantly over them”
- Exodus 18:13 Literally “And it was”
- Exodus 18:16 Literally “a thing is to them”
- Exodus 18:18 Literally “heavy”
- Exodus 18:21 Or “unjust profit”
- Exodus 18:22 Literally “and it will be”
- Exodus 18:23 Or “his place”
- Exodus 18:26 Hebrew “issue”
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