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Exodus 18 Legacy Standard Bible
<!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 Legacy 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" /></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="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">LSB</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 width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="../menu.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><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"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">Legacy Standard Bible</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/nasb_/exodus/18.htm" style="color:#0092f2" title="NASB">►► </a></td></tr></table></div><p class="hdg">Jethro’s Counsel</p><p><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>and her two sons, of whom <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>sojourner in a foreign land.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span><span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>And the other was named <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>Eliezer, for <i>he said</i>, “The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And he <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Then 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. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey, and <i>how</i> Yahweh had delivered them. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, that He had delivered <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>them from the hand of the Egyptians. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>So Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, <i>and</i> who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods; <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>for in this matter they acted presumptuously against <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>the people.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God. <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Now it happened the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>And Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, so he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit <i>as judge</i> and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>You will surely wear out, both yourself and <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>these people who are with you, for the <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Now listen to my voice: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the matters to God; <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>then warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they shall go and the work they shall do. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>But you shall <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>select excellent men out of all the people, those who fear God, men of truth, those who hate greedy gain; and you shall place <i>these men</i> over them <i>as</i> leaders of thousands, <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>of hundreds, <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>of fifties, and <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>of tens. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>And they will judge the people at all times. And it will be that every major matter they will bring to you, but every minor matter they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear <i>the burden</i> with you. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>If you do this thing and God <i>so</i> commands you, then you will be able to <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>endure, and all <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>these people also will go to <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>their place in peace.” <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>And Moses chose excellent men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>of hundreds, <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>of fifties, and <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>of tens. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>And they judged the people at all times; the difficult matter they would bring to Moses, but every minor matter they themselves would judge. <span class="reftext"><a href="/exodus/18-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Then Moses <span class="fn"><a href="#fn">[†]</a></span>let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.<A name="fn"></a></p><br /><br /><span class="fnverse">3</span> Lit <i>the name of the one was</i><br><span class="fnverse">3</span> Heb <i>ger</i><br><span class="fnverse">4</span> Lit <i>The name of the other was</i><br><span class="fnverse">4</span> Lit <i>My God is help</i><br><span class="fnverse">5</span> Lit <i>unto</i><br><span class="fnverse">6</span> Lit <i>said</i><br><span class="fnverse">9</span> Lit <i>him</i><br><span class="fnverse">11</span> Lit <i>indeed, in the thing in which they</i><br><span class="fnverse">11</span> Lit <i>them</i><br><span class="fnverse">12</span> Lit <i>bread</i><br><span class="fnverse">18</span> Lit <i>this</i><br><span class="fnverse">18</span> Lit <i>matter</i><br><span class="fnverse">19</span> Lit <i>You be for the people in front of God</i><br><span class="fnverse">21</span> Lit <i>see</i><br><span class="fnverse">21</span> Lit <i>leaders of</i><br><span class="fnverse">21</span> Lit <i>leaders of</i><br><span class="fnverse">21</span> Lit <i>leaders of</i><br><span class="fnverse">23</span> Lit <i>stand</i><br><span class="fnverse">23</span> Lit <i>this</i><br><span class="fnverse">23</span> Lit <i>his</i><br><span class="fnverse">25</span> Lit <i>leaders of</i><br><span class="fnverse">25</span> Lit <i>leaders of</i><br><span class="fnverse">25</span> Lit <i>leaders of</i><br><span class="fnverse">27</span> Lit <i>sent off his father-in-law</i><br></div><br /><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation<br>All rights reserved. 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