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The Blue Letter Bible

Exodus 18 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

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Jethro’s Advice

(Deu 1:9–18 )

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:1

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:1 - Jethro, 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:2

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:2 - Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home,

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:3

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:3 - along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner[fn] in a foreign land”),

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:4

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:4 - and the name of the other, Eliezer[fn] (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”).

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:5

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:5 - Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:6

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:6 - And when he sent word to Moses, “I,[fn] your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,”

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:7

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:7 - Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:8

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:8 - Then 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 in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:9

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:9 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:10

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:10 - Jethro said, “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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:11

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:11 - Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.”[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:12

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:12 - 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 before God.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:13

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:13 - The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:14

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:14 - 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?”

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:15

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:15 - And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God;

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:16

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:16 - when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:17

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:17 - Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:18

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:18 - You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:19

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:19 - Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:20

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:20 - and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:21

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:21 - Moreover, look for 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:22

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:22 - And let them judge the people at all times. 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 bear the burden with you.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:23

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:23 - If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:24

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:24 - So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:25

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:25 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:26

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:26 - And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 18:27

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 18:27 - Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
ESV Footnotes
Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner
Eliezer means My God is help
Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac behold
Hebrew with them
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

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Exodus Chapter 18 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras