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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/exodus/18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/exodus/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Exodus 18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../exodus/17.htm" title="Exodus 17">◄</a> Exodus 18 <a href="../exodus/19.htm" title="Exodus 19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Jethro Visits Moses</h3><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_1"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.1" class="v1_18_1">1</span>Jethro was the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses. He heard what the <span class="nd">Lord</span> God had done for Moses and his people, after rescuing them from Egypt.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_2"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.2-Exod.18.4" class="v1_18_2">2-4</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Exod.18.2-Exod.18.4!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> In the meantime, Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and her two sons to stay with Jethro, and he had welcomed them. Moses was still a foreigner in Midian when his first son was born, and so Moses said, “I'll name him Gershom.”<a href="#fn" id="link_Exod.18.2-Exod.18.4!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_2">When his second son was born, Moses said, “I'll name him Eliezer,<a href="#fn" id="link_Exod.18.2-Exod.18.4!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> because the God my father worshiped has saved me from the king of Egypt.”<a href="#fn" id="link_Exod.18.2-Exod.18.4!f.4" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_5"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.5-Exod.18.6" class="v1_18_5">5-6</span>While Israel was camped in the desert near Mount Sinai,<a href="#fn" id="link_Exod.18.5-Exod.18.6!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Jethro sent Moses this message: “I am coming to visit you, and I am bringing your wife and two sons.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_7"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.7" class="v1_18_7">7</span>When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent, </span><span class="v1_18_8"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.8" class="v1_18_8">8</span>where Moses told him everything the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had helped them in all of their troubles.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_9"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.9" class="v1_18_9">9</span>Jethro was so pleased to hear this good news about what the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had done, </span><span class="v1_18_10"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.10" class="v1_18_10">10</span>that he shouted, “Praise the <span class="nd">Lord</span>! He rescued you and the Israelites from the Egyptians and their king. </span><span class="v1_18_11"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.11" class="v1_18_11">11</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Exod.18.11!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Now I know that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies.” </span><span class="v1_18_12"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.12" class="v1_18_12">12</span>Jethro offered sacrifices to God. Then Aaron and Israel's leaders came to eat with Jethro there at the place of worship.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Judges Are Appointed</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="DEU 1:9-18">Deuteronomy 1.9-18</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_13"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.13" class="v1_18_13">13</span>The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening. </span><span class="v1_18_14"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.14" class="v1_18_14">14</span>Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, “Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_15"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.15" class="v1_18_15">15</span>Moses answered, “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do. </span><span class="v1_18_16"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.16" class="v1_18_16">16</span>They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_17"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.17" class="v1_18_17">17</span>Jethro replied:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v1_18_17">That isn't the best way to do it. </span><span class="v1_18_18"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.18" class="v1_18_18">18</span>You and the people who come to you will soon be worn out. The job is too much for one person; you can't do it alone. </span><span class="v1_18_19"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.19" class="v1_18_19">19</span>God will help you if you follow my advice. You should be the one to speak to God for the people, </span><span class="v1_18_20"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.20" class="v1_18_20">20</span>and you should teach them God's laws and show them what they must do to live right.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v1_18_21"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.21" class="v1_18_21">21</span>You will need to appoint some competent leaders who respect God and are trustworthy and honest. Then put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000. </span><span class="v1_18_22"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.22" class="v1_18_22">22</span>These judges can handle the ordinary cases and bring the more difficult ones to you. Having them to share the load will make your work easier. </span><span class="v1_18_23"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.23" class="v1_18_23">23</span>This is the way God wants it done. You won't be under nearly as much stress, and everyone else will return home feeling satisfied.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_24"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.24" class="v1_18_24">24</span>Moses followed Jethro's advice. </span><span class="v1_18_25"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.25" class="v1_18_25">25</span>He chose some competent leaders from every tribe in Israel and put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000. </span><span class="v1_18_26"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.26" class="v1_18_26">26</span>They served as judges, deciding the easy cases themselves, but bringing the more difficult ones to Moses.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v1_18_27"><span class="reftext" id="Exod.18.27" class="v1_18_27">27</span>After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said goodbye to each other, Jethro returned home.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.2-4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Gershom: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 2.22.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.2-4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Eliezer: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">In Hebrew “Eliezer” means “God has helped me.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.2-4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">saved … Egypt: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See 2.1-15.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.5,6 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Mount Sinai: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew “the mountain of God.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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