Exodus 18:22 - Prayer Tents



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Exodus 18
New Revised Standard Version Help

Jethro’s Advice

18Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.H3503H3548H4080H4872H2859H8085H430H6213H4872H3478H5971H3068H3318H3478H4714 2After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro took her back,H3503H4872H2859H3947H6855H4872H802H310H7964 3along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been an alien in a foreign land"),H8147H1121H8034H259H1647H559H1616H5237H776 4and 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").H8034H259H461H430H1H5828H5337H2719H6547 5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came into the wilderness where Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, bringing Moses' sons and wife to him.H3503H4872H2859H935H1121H802H4872H4057H2583H2022H430 6He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons."H559H4872H2859H3503H935H802H8147H1121 7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed down and kissed him; each asked after the other's welfare, and they went into the tent.H4872H3318H7125H2859H7812H5401H7592H376H7453H7965H935H168 8Then 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 beset them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.H4872H5608H2859H3068H6213H6547H4714H3478H182H8513H4672H1870H3068H5337 9Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians.H3503H2302H2896H3068H6213H3478H5337H3027H4714 10Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh.H3503H559H1288H3068H5337H3027H4714H3027H6547H5337H5971H3027H4714 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them."H3045H3068H1419H430H1697H2102 12And 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 in the presence of God.H3503H4872H2859H3947H5930H2077H430H175H935H2205H3478H398H3899H4872H2859H6440H430 13The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening.H4283H4872H3427H8199H5971H5971H5975H4872H1242H6153 14When 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, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"H4872H2859H7200H6213H5971H559H1697H6213H5971H3427H5971H5324H1242H6153 15Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.H4872H559H2859H5971H935H1875H430 16When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God."H1697H935H8199H376H7453H3045H2706H430H8451 17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.H4872H2859H559H1697H6213H2896 18You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.H5034H5034H5971H1697H3515H3201H6213 19Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God;H8085H6963H3289H430H1961H5971H4136H430H935H1697H430 20teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do.H2094H853H2706H8451H3045H1870H3212H4639H6213 21You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.H2372H5971H2428H582H3373H430H582H571H8130H1215H7760H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235 22Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.H8199H5971H6256H1419H1697H935H6996H1697H8199H7043H5375 23If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace."H6213H1697H430H6680H3201H5975H5971H935H4725H7965 24So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.H4872H8085H6963H2859H6213H559 25Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.H4872H977H2428H582H3478H5414H7218H5971H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235 26And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves.H8199H5971H6256H7186H1697H935H4872H6996H1697H1992H8199 27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.H4872H2859H7971H3212H776


New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. More details.
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