Exodus 18:22 - Prayer Tents

Jethro’s Advice

18And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.H3503H3548H4080H4872H2859H8085H430H6213H4872H3478H5971H3068H3318H3478H4714

2Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,H3503H4872H2859H3947H6855H4872H802H310H7964

3with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land")H8147H1121H8034H259H1647H559H1616H5237H776

4and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh");H8034H259H461H430H1H5828H5337H2719H6547

5and Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.H3503H4872H2859H935H1121H802H4872H4057H2583H2022H430

6Now he had said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her."H559H4872H2859H3503H935H802H8147H1121

7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.H4872H3318H7125H2859H7812H5401H7592H376H7453H7965H935H168

8And 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 come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.H4872H5608H2859H3068H6213H6547H4714H3478H182H8513H4672H1870H3068H5337

9Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.H3503H2302H2896H3068H6213H3478H5337H3027H4714

10And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.H3503H559H1288H3068H5337H3027H4714H3027H6547H5337H5971H3027H4714

11"Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them."H3045H3068H1419H430H1697H2102

12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.H3503H4872H2859H3947H5930H2077H430H175H935H2205H3478H398H3899H4872H2859H6440H430

13And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.H4283H4872H3427H8199H5971H5971H5975H4872H1242H6153

14So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?"H4872H2859H7200H6213H5971H559H1697H6213H5971H3427H5971H5324H1242H6153

15And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.H4872H559H2859H5971H935H1875H430

16"When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws."H1697H935H8199H376H7453H3045H2706H430H8451

17So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.H4872H2859H559H1697H6213H2896

18"Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.H5034H5034H5971H1697H3515H3201H6213

19"Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.H8085H6963H3289H430H1961H5971H4136H430H935H1697H430

20"And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.H2094H853H2706H8451H3045H1870H3212H4639H6213

21"Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.H2372H5971H2428H582H3373H430H582H571H8130H1215H7760H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235

22"And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.H8199H5971H6256H1419H1697H935H6996H1697H8199H7043H5375

23"If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace."H6213H1697H430H6680H3201H5975H5971H935H4725H7965

24So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.H4872H8085H6963H2859H6213H559

25And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.H4872H977H2428H582H3478H5414H7218H5971H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235

26So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.H8199H5971H6256H7186H1697H935H4872H6996H1697H1992H8199

27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.H4872H2859H7971H3212H776