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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Exodus 18 Christian Standard Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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They asked each other how they had been<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Exodus.18.7.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> and went into the tent. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.8" /> <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> rescued them.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.8.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.9" /> <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.10" /> <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>“Blessed be the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span>,”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.10.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt! <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.11" /> <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Now I know that the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Exodus.18.11.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">a</span></a> <a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.11.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.12" /> <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’s father-in-law in God’s presence.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.13" /> <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.14" /> <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening? ”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.15" /> <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.16" /> <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.16.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.17" /> <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.18" /> <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.18.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.19" /> <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.20" /> <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.20.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.21" /> <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.21.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.21.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.22" /> <A name="23"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Exodus.18.22.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> and they will bear it with you.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.22.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.23" /> <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Exodus.18.23.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.24" /> <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.25" /> <A name="26"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.26" /> <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Exodus.18.27" /> <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Exodus.18.27.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><br /><section id="footnotes-Exodus.18" class="fnSection"><aside id="fn.Exodus.18.3.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.3">18:3</a></span> In Hb the name <span class="italic">Gershom</span> sounds like the phrase “a stranger there.”</aside><aside id="fn.Exodus.18.4.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.4">18:4</a></span> = My God Is Help</aside><aside id="fn.Exodus.18.7.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.7">18:7</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">other about well-being</span></aside><aside id="fn.Exodus.18.11.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.11">18:11</a></span> Hb obscure</aside><aside id="fn.Exodus.18.22.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.22">18:22</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">lighten from on you</span></aside><aside id="fn.Exodus.18.23.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.23">18:23</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">go to their place in peace</span></aside><br /><section id="cross-references-Exodus.18" class="xrfSection"><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.1.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.1">18:1</a></span> Ex 2:16,18; 3:1</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.2.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.2">18:2</a></span> Ex 2:21; 4:25</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.3.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.3">18:3</a></span> Ex 2:22; 4:20; Ac 7:29</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.5.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.4">18:4-5</a></span> Ex 3:1; 1Ch 23:15</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.7.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.7">18:7</a></span> Gn 29:13; Ex 18:2</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.8.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.8">18:8</a></span> Ex 15:6,16; Ps 81:7</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.10.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.10">18:10</a></span> Gn 14:20; 2Sm 18:28</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.11.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.11">18:11</a></span> 2Ch 2:5; Lk 1:51</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.16.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.15">18:15-16</a></span> Ex 24:14; Lv 24:12; Nm 15:34; Dt 17:8</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.18.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.18">18:18</a></span> Ex 3:12; 4:16; Nm 27:5</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.20.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.20">18:20</a></span> Dt 1:18; 5:1; Ps 143:8</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.21.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.21">18:21</a></span> Ex 18:8; Dt 16:19; Ac 6:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.21.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.21">18:21</a></span> Dt 1:15; 2Ch 19:5–10</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.22.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.22">18:22</a></span> Lv 24:11; Nm 11:17; Dt 1:17</aside><aside id="xrf.Exodus.18.27.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Exodus.18.25">18:25-27</a></span> Ex 18:22; Nm 10:29–30; Dt 1:15</aside><br /><section id="study-notes-Exodus.18" class="snSection"><br /></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Christian Standard Bible. 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