Exodus 18 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law

1 Now Jethro ^H3503, the priest ^H3548 of Midian ^H4080, Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859, heard ^H8085 about everything ^H3605 that God ^H430 had done ^H6213 for Moses ^H4872 and for Israel ^H3478 His people ^H5971, how ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 had brought ^H3318 Israel ^H3478 out ^H3318 of Egypt ^H4714.

2 And Jethro ^H3503, Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859, took ^H3947 in Moses’ ^H4872 wife ^H802 Zipporah ^H6855, after ^H310 he had sent ^H7971 her away ^H7971, 3 and her two ^H8147 sons ^H1121, [fn]one ^H259 of whom ^H834 was named ^H8034 Gershom ^H1647, for Moses said ^H559, “I have been ^H1961 a stranger ^H1616 in a foreign ^H5237 land ^H776.” 4 And [fn]the other ^H259 was named ^H8034 [fn]Eliezer ^H461, for he said, “The God ^H430 of my father ^H1 was my help ^H5828, and saved ^H5337 me from the sword ^H2719 of Pharaoh ^H6547.”

5 Then Jethro ^H3503, Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859, came ^H935 with his sons ^H1121 and his wife ^H802 to Moses ^H4872 [fn]in the wilderness ^H4057 where ^H834 H8033 he was camped ^H2583, at the mountain ^H2022 of God ^H430. 6 And he [fn]sent ^H559 word ^H559 to Moses ^H4872: “I, your father-in-law ^H2859 Jethro ^H3503, am coming ^H935 to you with your wife ^H802 and her two ^H8147 sons ^H1121 with her.” 7 Then Moses ^H4872 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 his father-in-law ^H2859, and he bowed ^H2331 down ^H2331 and kissed ^H5401 him; and they asked ^H7592 each ^H376 other ^H7453 about their welfare ^H7965, and went ^H935 into the tent ^H168. 8 Moses ^H4872 told ^H5608 his father-in-law ^H2859 everything ^H3605 that the LORD ^H3068 had done ^H6213 to Pharaoh ^H6547 and to the Egyptians ^H4714 for ^H5921 Israel’s ^H3478 sake ^H5921 H182, all ^H3605 the hardship ^H8513 that had confronted ^H4672 them on the journey ^H1870, and how the LORD ^H3068 had rescued ^H5337 them. 9 And Jethro ^H3503 rejoiced ^H2302 over ^H5921 all ^H3605 the goodness ^H2896 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 had done ^H6213 for Israel ^H3478, [fn]in rescuing ^H5337 [fn]them from the hand ^H3027 of the Egyptians ^H4714. 10 So Jethro ^H3503 said ^H559, “Blessed ^H1288 be the LORD ^H3068 who ^H834 rescued ^H5337 you from the hand ^H3027 of the Egyptians ^H4714 and from the hand ^H3027 of Pharaoh ^H6547, and who ^H834 rescued ^H5337 the people ^H5971 from under ^H8478 the hand ^H3027 of the Egyptians ^H4714. 11 Now ^H6258 I know ^H3045 that the LORD ^H3068 is greater ^H1419 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the gods ^H430; indeed ^H3588, [fn]it was proven ^H1697 when ^H834 they acted ^H2102 insolently ^H2102 against ^H5921 [fn]the people.” 12 Then Jethro ^H3503, Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859, took ^H3947 a burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 and sacrifices ^H2077 for God ^H430, and Aaron ^H175 came ^H935 with all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478 to eat ^H398 [fn]a meal ^H3899 with Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859 before ^H6440 God ^H430.

Jethro Counsels Moses

13 And it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 the next ^H4283 day ^H4283, that Moses ^H4872 sat ^H3427 to judge ^H8199 the people ^H5971, and the people ^H5971 stood ^H5975 before ^H5921 Moses ^H4872 from the morning ^H1242 until ^H5704 the evening ^H6153.

14 Now when Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859 saw ^H7200 all ^H3605 that he was doing ^H6213 for the people ^H5971, he said ^H559, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 that you are doing ^H6213 for the people ^H5971? Why ^H4069 do you alone ^H905 sit ^H3427 as judge and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 stand ^H5324 before ^H5921 you from morning ^H1242 until ^H5704 evening ^H6153?” 15 Moses ^H4872 said ^H559 to his father-in-law ^H2859, “Because ^H3588 the people ^H5971 come ^H935 to me to inquire ^H1875 of God ^H430. 16 When ^H3588 they have ^H1961 a [fn]dispute ^H1697, it comes ^H935 to me, and I judge ^H8199 between ^H996 someone ^H376 and his neighbor ^H7453 and make ^H3045 known ^H3045 the statutes ^H2706 of God ^H430 and His laws ^H8451.” 17 Moses’ ^H4872 father-in-law ^H2859 then said ^H559 to him, “The thing ^H1697 that you are doing ^H6213 is not good ^H2896. 18 You will surely ^H5034 wear ^H5034 out ^H5034, both ^H1571 yourself ^H859 and [fn]these ^H2088 people ^H5971 who ^H834 are with you, because ^H3588 the [fn]task ^H1697 is too ^H4480 heavy ^H3515 for you; you cannot ^H3201 H3808 do ^H6213 it alone ^H905. 19 Now ^H6258 listen ^H8085 to [fn]me: I will give ^H3289 you counsel ^H3289, and God ^H430 be with you. [fn]You be the people’s ^H5971 representative before ^H4136 God ^H430, and you bring ^H935 the [fn]disputes ^H1697 to God ^H430, 20 then admonish ^H2094 them about ^H2094 the statutes ^H2706 and the laws ^H8451, and make ^H3045 known ^H3045 to them the way ^H1870 in which they are to walk ^H1980 and the work ^H4639 they are to do ^H6213. 21 Furthermore, you shall [fn]select ^H2372 out of all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 able ^H2428 men ^H376 who fear ^H3372 God ^H430, men ^H376 of truth ^H571, those who hate ^H8130 dishonest ^H1215 gain ^H1215; and you shall place ^H7760 these over ^H5921 them as leaders ^H8269 of thousands ^H505, [fn]of hundreds ^H3967, [fn]of fifties ^H2572, and [fn]of tens ^H6235. 22 Let them judge ^H8199 the people ^H5971 at all ^H3605 times ^H6256; and let it be that they will bring ^H935 to you every ^H3605 major ^H1419 matter ^H1697, but they will judge ^H8199 every ^H3605 minor ^H6996 matter ^H1697 themselves. So it will be ^H7043 easier ^H7043 for you, and they will carry ^H5375 the burden with you. 23 If ^H518 you do ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 and God ^H430 so commands ^H6680 you, then you will be ^H3201 able ^H3201 to [fn]endure ^H5975, and all ^H3605 [fn]these ^H2088 people ^H5971 also ^H1571 will go ^H935 to [fn]their places ^H4725 in peace ^H7965.”

24 So Moses ^H4872 listened ^H8085 [fn]to his father-in-law ^H2859 and did ^H6213 everything ^H3605 that he had said ^H559. 25 Moses ^H4872 chose ^H977 able ^H2428 men ^H376 out of all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 and made ^H5414 them heads ^H7218 over ^H5921 the people ^H5971, leaders ^H8269 of thousands ^H505, [fn]of hundreds ^H3967, [fn]of fifties ^H2572, and [fn]of tens ^H6235. 26 Then they judged ^H8199 the people ^H5971 at all ^H3605 times ^H6256; they would bring ^H935 the difficult ^H7186 matter ^H1697 to Moses ^H4872, but they would judge ^H8199 every ^H3605 minor ^H6996 matter ^H1697 themselves. 27 Then Moses ^H4872 [fn]said ^H7971 goodbye ^H7971 to his father-in-law ^H2859, and [fn]Jethro went ^H1980 his way to his own land ^H776.