Parallel Bible results for "exodus 18"

Exodus 18

Good News Translation GNT

1 Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and the people of Israel when he led them out of Egypt.

2 So he came to Moses, bringing with him Moses' wife Zipporah, who had been left behind,

3 and Gershom and Eliezer, her two sons. (Moses had said, "I have been a foreigner in a strange land"; so he had named one son Gershom.

4 He had also said, "The God of my father helped me and saved me from being killed by the king of Egypt"; so he had named the other son Eliezer. )

5 Jethro came with Moses' wife and her two sons into the desert where Moses was camped at the holy mountain.

6 He had sent word to Moses that they were coming,

7 so Moses went out to meet him, bowed before him, and kissed him. They asked about each other's health and then went into Moses' tent.

8 Moses told Jethro everything that the Lord had done to the king and the people of Egypt in order to rescue the Israelites. He also told him about the hardships the people had faced on the way and how the Lord had saved them.

9 When Jethro heard all this, he was happy

10 and said, "Praise the Lord, who saved you from the king and the people of Egypt! Praise the Lord, who saved his people from slavery!

11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, because he did this when the Egyptians treated the Israelites with such contempt."

12 Then Jethro brought an offering to be burned whole and other sacrifices to be offered to God; and Aaron and all the leaders of Israel went with him to eat the sacred meal as an act of worship.

13 The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night.

14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, "What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?"

15 Moses answered, "I must do this because the people come to me to learn God's will.

16 When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God's commands and laws."

17 Then Jethro said, "You are not doing this right.

18 You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone.

19 Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him.

20 You should teach them God's commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do.

21 But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed.

22 Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden.

23 If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out, and all these people can go home with their disputes settled."

24 Moses took Jethro's advice

25 and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

26 They served as judges for the people on a permanent basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses but deciding the smaller disputes themselves.

27 Then Moses said good-bye to Jethro, and Jethro went back home.

English Standard Version ESV

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.

2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home,

3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom ( for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”),

4 and the name of the other, Eliezer(for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”).

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.

6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her, ”

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.

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.

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.

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.

11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people. ”

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.

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.

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? ”

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

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. ”

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

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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. ”

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

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.

26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.