Exodus 18:1-19:6

New King James Version

Jethro’s Advice^(A)

18 And ^(B)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that ^(C)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 ^(D)Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, ³ with her ^(E)two sons, of whom the name of one was ^[a]Gershom (for he said, ^(F)“I have been a ^[b]stranger in a foreign land”) ⁴ and the name of the other was ^[c]Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my ^(G)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 ^(H)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 ^(I)went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and ^(J)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 ^(K)delivered them. ⁹ Then Jethro rejoiced for all the ^(L)good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ And Jethro said, ^(M)“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 ^(N)greater than all the gods; ^(O)for in the very thing in which they ^[d]behaved ^(P)proudly, He was above them.” ¹² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, ^[e]took a burnt ^(Q)offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel ^(R)to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

¹³ And so it was, on the next day, that Moses ^(S)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 ^[f]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because ^(T)the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ When they have ^(U)a ^[g]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; ^(V)you are not able to perform it by yourself. ¹⁹ Listen now to my voice; I will give you ^[h]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand ^(W)before God for the people, so that you may ^(X)bring the difficulties to God. ²⁰ And you shall ^(Y)teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and ^(Z)the work they must do. ²¹ Moreover you shall select from all the people ^(AA)able men, such as ^(AB)fear God, ^(AC)men of truth, ^(AD)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. ^(AE)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 ^(AF)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 ^(AG)place in peace.”

²⁴ So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵ And ^(AH)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 ^(AI)hard^[i] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

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

Israel at Mount Sinai

19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, ^(AK)they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. ² For they had departed from ^(AL)Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before ^(AM)the mountain.

³ And ^(AN)Moses went up to God, and the Lord ^(AO)called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ^4 (AP)‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how ^(AQ)I ^[j]bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now ^(AR)therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and ^(AS)keep My covenant, then ^(AT)you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is ^(AU)Mine. ⁶ And you shall be to Me a ^(AV)kingdom of priests and a ^(AW)holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”