18Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.H3503H3548H4080H4872H2859H8085H430H6213H4872H3478H5971H3068H3318H3478H4714 2Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,H3503H4872H2859H3947H6855H4872H802H310H7964 3along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land")H8147H1121H8034H259H1647H559H1616H5237H776 4and the other Eliezer (because [he had said,] "The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword").H8034H259H461H430H1H5828H5337H2719H6547 5Moses' father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses' wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.H3503H4872H2859H935H1121H802H4872H4057H2583H2022H430 6He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."H559H4872H2859H3503H935H802H8147H1121 7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been and went into the tent.H4872H3318H7125H2859H7812H5401H7592H376H7453H7965H935H168 8Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.H4872H5608H2859H3068H6213H6547H4714H3478H182H8513H4672H1870H3068H5337 9Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel when He rescued them from the Egyptians.H3503H2302H2896H3068H6213H3478H5337H3027H4714 10"Blessed is the LORD," Jethro exclaimed, "who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians, and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians.H3503H559H1288H3068H5337H3027H4714H3027H6547H5337H5971H3027H4714 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because He [did wonders] at the time the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel."H3045H3068H1419H430H1697H2102 12Then Jethro, Moses' 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' father-in-law in God's presence.H3503H4872H2859H3947H5930H2077H430H175H935H2205H3478H398H3899H4872H2859H6440H430 13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening.H4283H4872H3427H8199H5971H5971H5975H4872H1242H6153 14When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, "What is this thing you're doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"H4872H2859H7200H6213H5971H559H1697H6213H5971H3427H5971H5324H1242H6153 15Moses replied to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.H4872H559H2859H5971H935H1875H430 16Whenever 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."H1697H935H8199H376H7453H3045H2706H430H8451 17"What you're doing is not good," Moses' father-in-law said to him.H4872H2859H559H1697H6213H2896 18"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.H5034H5034H5971H1697H3515H3201H6213 19Now 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.H8085H6963H3289H430H1961H5971H4136H430H935H1697H430 20Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.H2094H853H2706H8451H3045H1870H3212H4639H6213 21But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place [them] over the people as officials of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.H2372H5971H2428H582H3373H430H582H571H8130H1215H7760H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235 22They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear [it] with you.H8199H5971H6256H1419H1697H935H6996H1697H8199H7043H5375 23If 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."H6213H1697H430H6680H3201H5975H5971H935H4725H7965 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.H4872H8085H6963H2859H6213H559 25So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people [as] officials of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.H4872H977H2428H582H3478H5414H7218H5971H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235 26They judged the people at all times; the hard cases they would bring to Moses, but every minor case they would judge themselves.H8199H5971H6256H7186H1697H935H4872H6996H1697H1992H8199 27Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.H4872H2859H7971H3212H776
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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