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EXODUS · Chapter 18
18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard
of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that
the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife,
after he had sent her back,
18:3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for
he said, I have been an foreigner in a strange land:
18:4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father,
said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
18:5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife
unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
18:6 And he said unto Moses, I your father in law Jethro am come unto
you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.
18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did reverence,
and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came
into the tent.
18:8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto
Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that
had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
18:9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done
to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
18:10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out
of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered
the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the
thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
18:12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices
for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with
Moses' father in law before God.
18:13 And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to judge
the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
18:14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people,
he said, What is this thing that you do to the people? why sit you yourself
alone, and all the people stand by you from morning unto even?
18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come
unto me to enquire of God:
18:16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between
one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
18:17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that you do
is not good.
18:18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is
with you: for this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform
it yourself alone.
18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give you counsel, and God shall
be with you: Be you for the people toward God, that you may bring the causes
unto God:
18:20 And you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall show
them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
18:21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such
as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them,
to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and
rulers of tens:
18:22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be,
that every great matter they shall bring unto you, but every small matter
they shall judge: so shall it be easier for yourself, and they shall bear
the burden with you.
18:23 If you shall do this thing, and God command you so, then you
shall be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place
in peace.
18:24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did
all that he had said.
18:25 And 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.
18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they
brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
18:27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into
his own land.
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