Exodus 18

New International Version

Jethro Visits Moses

18 Now Jethro,^(A) the priest of Midian^(B) 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.^(C)

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

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

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down^(J) and kissed^(K) him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. ⁸Moses 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^(L) they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved^(M) them.

⁹Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things^(N) the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰He said, “Praise be to the Lord,^(O) who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,^(P) for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”^(Q) ¹²Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,^(R) brought a burnt offering^(S) and other sacrifices^(T) to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal^(U) with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence^(V) of God.

¹³The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴When 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?”

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

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

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

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

Notas al pie

Exodus 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
Exodus 18:4 Eliezer means my God is helper.

Job 36

New International Version

36 Elihu continued:

²“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
    that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
³I get my knowledge from afar;^(A)
    I will ascribe justice to my Maker.^(B)
⁴Be assured that my words are not false;^(C)
    one who has perfect knowledge^(D) is with you.^(E)

⁵“God is mighty,^(F) but despises no one;^(G)
    he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.^(H)
⁶He does not keep the wicked alive^(I)
    but gives the afflicted their rights.^(J)
⁷He does not take his eyes off the righteous;^(K)
    he enthrones them with kings^(L)
    and exalts them forever.^(M)
⁸But if people are bound in chains,^(N)
    held fast by cords of affliction,^(O)
⁹he tells them what they have done—
    that they have sinned arrogantly.^(P)
¹⁰He makes them listen^(Q) to correction^(R)
    and commands them to repent of their evil.^(S)
¹¹If they obey and serve him,^(T)
    they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity^(U)
    and their years in contentment.^(V)
¹²But if they do not listen,
    they will perish by the sword^[a]^(W)
    and die without knowledge.^(X)

¹³“The godless in heart^(Y) harbor resentment;^(Z)
    even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.^(AA)
¹⁴They die in their youth,^(AB)
    among male prostitutes of the shrines.^(AC)
¹⁵But those who suffer^(AD) he delivers in their suffering;^(AE)
    he speaks^(AF) to them in their affliction.^(AG)

¹⁶“He is wooing^(AH) you from the jaws of distress
    to a spacious place^(AI) free from restriction,^(AJ)
    to the comfort of your table^(AK) laden with choice food.^(AL)
¹⁷But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;^(AM)
    judgment and justice have taken hold of you.^(AN)
¹⁸Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
    do not let a large bribe^(AO) turn you aside.^(AP)
¹⁹Would your wealth^(AQ) or even all your mighty efforts
    sustain you so you would not be in distress?
²⁰Do not long for the night,^(AR)
    to drag people away from their homes.^[b]
²¹Beware of turning to evil,^(AS)
    which you seem to prefer to affliction.^(AT)

²²“God is exalted in his power.^(AU)
    Who is a teacher like him?^(AV)
²³Who has prescribed his ways^(AW) for him,^(AX)
    or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?^(AY)
²⁴Remember to extol his work,^(AZ)
    which people have praised in song.^(BA)
²⁵All humanity has seen it;^(BB)
    mortals gaze on it from afar.
²⁶How great is God—beyond our understanding!^(BC)
    The number of his years is past finding out.^(BD)

²⁷“He draws up the drops of water,^(BE)
    which distill as rain to the streams^[c];^(BF)
²⁸the clouds pour down their moisture
    and abundant showers^(BG) fall on mankind.^(BH)
²⁹Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
    how he thunders^(BI) from his pavilion?^(BJ)
³⁰See how he scatters his lightning^(BK) about him,
    bathing the depths of the sea.^(BL)
³¹This is the way he governs^[d] the nations^(BM)
    and provides food^(BN) in abundance.^(BO)
³²He fills his hands with lightning
    and commands it to strike its mark.^(BP)
³³His thunder announces the coming storm;^(BQ)
    even the cattle make known its approach.^[e]^(BR)

Notas al pie

Job 36:12 Or will cross the river
Job 36:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for verses 18-20 is uncertain.
Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
Job 36:31 Or nourishes
Job 36:33 Or announces his coming— / the One zealous against evil

Psalm 66

New International Version

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹Shout for joy to God, all the earth!^(A)
²    Sing the glory of his name;^(B)
    make his praise glorious.^(C)
³Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!^(D)
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe^(E) before you.
⁴All the earth bows down^(F) to you;
    they sing praise^(G) to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”^[a]

⁵Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds^(H) for mankind!
⁶He turned the sea into dry land,^(I)
    they passed through^(J) the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice^(K) in him.
⁷He rules forever^(L) by his power,
    his eyes watch^(M) the nations—
    let not the rebellious^(N) rise up against him.

⁸Praise^(O) our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹he has preserved our lives^(P)
    and kept our feet from slipping.^(Q)
¹⁰For you, God, tested^(R) us;
    you refined us like silver.^(S)
¹¹You brought us into prison^(T)
    and laid burdens^(U) on our backs.
¹²You let people ride over our heads;^(V)
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.^(W)

¹³I will come to your temple with burnt offerings^(X)
    and fulfill my vows^(Y) to you—
¹⁴vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
¹⁵I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.^(Z)

¹⁶Come and hear,^(AA) all you who fear God;
    let me tell^(AB) you what he has done for me.
¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;^(AC)
¹⁹but God has surely listened
    and has heard^(AD) my prayer.
²⁰Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected^(AE) my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!