1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Exodus 18

1 Jethro bringeth to Moses his wife and two sons. 7 Moses entertaineth him. 13 Jethro's counsel is accepted. 27 Jethro departeth.

 18:1 Now Jethro 3503, the priest 3548 of Midian 4080, Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b, heard 8085 of all 3605 that God 430 had done 6213a for Moses 4872 and for Israel 3478 His people 5971a, how 3588 the LORD 3068 had brought 3318 Israel 3478 out of Egypt 4714.

 18:2 Jethro 3503, Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b, took 3947 Moses’ 4872 wife 802 Zipporah 6855, after 310 he had sent 7971 her away 7971,

 18:3 and her two 8147 sons 1121, of whom 834 one 259 was named 8034 Gershom 1647, for Moses said 559, “I have been 1961 a sojourner 1616 in a foreign 5237 land 776.”

 18:4 The other 259 was named 8034 Eliezer 461, for [he said], “The God 430 of my father 1 was my help 5828, and delivered 5337 me from the sword 2719 of Pharaoh 6547.”

 18:5 ¶ Then Jethro 3503, Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b, came 935 with his sons 1121 and his wife 802 to Moses 4872 in the wilderness 4057b where 834 8033 he was camped 2583, at the mount 2022 of God 430.

 18:6 He sent 559 word 559 to Moses 4872, “I, your father-in-law 2860b Jethro 3503, am coming 935 to you with your wife 802 and her two 8147 sons 1121 with her.”

 18:7 Then Moses 4872 went 3318 out to meet 7122 his father-in-law 2860b, and he bowed 7812 down 7812 and kissed 5401a him; and they asked 7592 each 376 other 7453 of their welfare 7965 and went 935 into the tent 168.

 18:8 Moses 4872 told 5608 his father-in-law 2860b all 3605 that the LORD 3068 had done 6213a to Pharaoh 6547 and to the Egyptians 4714 for Israel’s 3478 sake 5921 182, all 3605 the hardship 8513 that had befallen 4672 them on the journey 1870, and [how] the LORD 3068 had delivered 5337 them.

 18:9 Jethro 3503 rejoiced 2302b over 5921 all 3605 the goodness 2899b which 834 the LORD 3068 had done 6213a to Israel 3478, in delivering 5337 them from the hand 3027 of the Egyptians 4714.

 18:10 So Jethro 3503 said 559, “Blessed 1288 be the LORD 3068 who 834 delivered 5337 you from the hand 3027 of the Egyptians 4714 and from the hand 3027 of Pharaoh 6547, [and] who 834 delivered 5337 the people 5971a from under 8478 the hand 3027 of the Egyptians 4714.

 18:11 “Now 6258 I know 3045 that the LORD 3068 is greater 1419 than 4480 all 3605 the gods 430; indeed 3588, it was proven 1697 when 834 they dealt 2102 proudly 2102 against 5921 the people.”

 18:12 Then Jethro 3503, Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b, took 3947 a burnt 5930a offering 5930a and sacrifices 2077 for God 430, and Aaron 175 came 935 with all 3605 the elders 2205 of Israel 3478 to eat 398 a meal 3899 with Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b before 6440 God 430.

 18:13 ¶ It came 1961 about the next 4283 day 4283 that Moses 4872 sat 3427 to judge 8199 the people 5971a, and the people 5971a stood 5975 about 5921 Moses 4872 from the morning 1242 until 5704 the evening 6153.

 18:14 Now when Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b saw 7200 all 3605 that he was doing 6213a for the people 5971a, he said 559, “What 4100 is this 2088 thing 1697 that you are doing 6213a for the people 5971a? Why 4069 do you alone 905 sit 3427 [as judge] and all 3605 the people 5971a stand 5324 about 5921 you from morning 1242 until 5704 evening 6153?”

 18:15 Moses 4872 said 559 to his father-in-law 2860b, “Because 3588 the people 5971a come 935 to me to inquire 1875 of God 430.

 18:16 “When 3588 they have 1961 a dispute 1697, it comes 935 to me, and I judge 8199 between 996 a man 376 and his neighbor 7453 and make 3045 known 3045 the statutes 2706 of God 430 and His laws 8451.”

 18:17 Moses’ 4872 father-in-law 2860b said 559 to him, “The thing 1697 that you are doing 6213a is not good 2896a.

 18:18 “You will surely 5034b wear 5034b out, both 1571 yourself 859 and these 2088 people 5971a who 834 are with you, for the task 1697 is too 4480 heavy 3515 for you; you cannot 3201 3808 do 6213a it alone 905.

 18:19 “Now 6258 listen 8085 to me: I will give 3289 you counsel 3289, and God 430 be with you. You be the people’s 5971a representative before 4136 God 430, and you bring 935 the disputes 1697 to God 430,

 18:20 then teach 2094b them the statutes 2706 and the laws 8451, and make 3045 known 3045 to them the way 1870 in which they are to walk 1980 and the work 4639 they are to do 6213a.

 18:21 “Furthermore, you shall select 2372 out of all 3605 the people 5971a able 2428 men 376 who fear 3372a God 430, men 376 of truth 571, those who hate 8130 dishonest 1215 gain 1215; and you shall place 7760 [these] over 5921 them [as] leaders 8269 of thousands 505, of hundreds 3967, of fifties 2572 and of tens 6235.

 18:22 “Let them judge 8199 the people 5971a at all 3605 times 6256; and let it be that every 3605 major 1419 dispute 1697 they will bring 935 to you, but every 3605 minor 6996b dispute 1697 they themselves will judge 8199. So it will be easier 7043 for you, and they will bear 5375 [the burden] with you.

 18:23 “If 518 you do 6213a this 2088 thing 1697 and God 430 [so] commands 6680 you, then you will be able 3201 to endure 5975, and all 3605 these 2088 people 5971a also 1571 will go 935 to their place 4725 in peace 7965.”

 18:24 ¶ So Moses 4872 listened 8085 to his father-in-law 2860b and did 6213a all 3605 that he had said 559.

 18:25 Moses 4872 chose 977 able 2428 men 376 out of all 3605 Israel 3478 and made 5414 them heads 7218 over 5921 the people 5971a, leaders 8269 of thousands 505, of hundreds 3967, of fifties 2572 and of tens 6235.

 18:26 They judged 8199 the people 5971a at all 3605 times 6256; the difficult 7186 dispute 1697 they would bring 935 to Moses 4872, but every 3605 minor 6996b dispute 1697 they themselves would judge 8199.

 18:27 Then Moses 4872 bade 7971 his father-in-law 2860b farewell 7971, and he went 1980 his way into his own land 776.