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Exodus 18 :: New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB95)

Jethro, Moses' Father-in-law

(Deu 1:9–18 )

Exo 18:1

Exo 18:1Now 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.

Exo 18:2

Exo 18:2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,

Exo 18:3

Exo 18:3and her two sons, of whom [fn]one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a [fn]sojourner in a foreign land.”

Exo 18:4

Exo 18:4[fn]The other was named [fn]Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

Exo 18:5

Exo 18:5Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses [fn]in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God.

Exo 18:6

Exo 18:6He [fn]sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

Exo 18:7

Exo 18:7Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.

Exo 18:8

Exo 18:8Moses 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 befallen them on the journey, and how the LORD had delivered them.

Exo 18:9

Exo 18:9Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, [fn]in delivering [fn]them from the hand of the Egyptians.

Exo 18:10

Exo 18:10So Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

Exo 18:11

Exo 18:11“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; [fn]indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against [fn]the people.”

Exo 18:12

Exo 18:12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat [fn]a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Exo 18:13

Exo 18:13It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening.

Exo 18:14

Exo 18:14Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”

Exo 18:15

Exo 18:15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

Exo 18:16

Exo 18:16“When they have a [fn]dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

Exo 18:17

Exo 18:17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.

Exo 18:18

Exo 18:18“You will surely wear out, both yourself and [fn]these people who are with you, for the [fn]task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

Exo 18:19

Exo 18:19“Now listen to [fn]me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. [fn]You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the [fn]disputes to God,

Exo 18:20

Exo 18:20then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.

Exo 18:21

Exo 18:21“Furthermore, you shall [fn]select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, [fn]of hundreds, [fn]of fifties and [fn]of tens.

Exo 18:22

Exo 18:22“Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major [fn]dispute they will bring to you, but every minor [fn]dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

Exo 18:23

Exo 18:23“If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to [fn]endure, and all [fn]these people also will go to [fn]their place in peace.”

Exo 18:24

Exo 18:24So Moses listened [fn]to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Exo 18:25

Exo 18:25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, [fn]of hundreds, [fn]of fifties and [fn]of tens.

Exo 18:26

Exo 18:26They judged the people at all times; the difficult [fn]dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor [fn]dispute they themselves would judge.

Exo 18:27

Exo 18:27Then Moses [fn]bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.
See the NASB95 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NASB95 Footnotes
Literally: the name of the one was
Hebrew: ger
Literally: The name of the other was
Hebrew: El-ezer; i.e. my God is help
Literally: unto
Literally: said
Literally: in that He had delivered
Literally: him
Literally: indeed, in the thing in which they
Literally: them
Literally: bread
Literally: matter
Literally: this
Literally: matter
Literally: my voice
Literally: You be for the people in front of God
Literally: matters
Literally: see
Literally: leaders of
Literally: matter
Literally: stand
Literally: this
Literally: his
Literally: to the voice of
Literally: leaders of
Literally: matter
Literally: sent off his father-in-law
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New American Standard Bible 1995
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by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
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For Permission To Quote visit http://www.lockman.org

For more information on this translation, see the NASB95 Preface.

Exodus Chapter 18 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 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

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