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Exodus 18 :: Webster's Bible (WEB)

Exo 18:1When Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses's father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt:
Exo 18:2Then Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, took Zipporah Moses's wife, after he had sent her back,
Exo 18:3And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; (for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:)
Exo 18:4And the name of the other was Eliezer; (for the God of my father, said he, was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:)
Exo 18:5And Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
Exo 18:6And he said to Moses, I thy father-in-law Jethro have come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
Exo 18:7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him: and they asked each other of their welfare: and they came into the tent.
Exo 18:8And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
Exo 18:9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Exo 18:10And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
Exo 18:11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing in which they dealt proudly, he was above them.
Exo 18:12And Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses's father-in-law before God.
Exo 18:13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening.
Exo 18:14And when Moses's father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning to evening?
Exo 18:15And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God:
Exo 18:16When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Jethro Counsels Moses

Exo 18:17And Moses's father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Exo 18:18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Exo 18:19Hearken now to my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people toward God, that thou mayest bring the causes to God:
Exo 18:20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Exo 18:21Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Exo 18:22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring to thee, but every small matter they shall judge: So shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
Exo 18:23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
Exo 18:24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
Exo 18:25And 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.
Exo 18:26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Exo 18:27And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
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The Webster Bible was translated by Noah Webster in 1833 in order to bring the language of the bible up to date. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.

Pericope

Pericope taken from the NASB95 and has been graciously provided by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible
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by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
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Exodus Chapter 18 — Additional Translations: