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Exodus 18 (NKJV) : Jethro's Advice

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Exodus 18 (NKJV)

Jethro’s Advice
18 And 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. 2
Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her
back, 3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was [a]Gershom (for he said, “I
have been a [b]stranger in a foreign land”) 4 and the name of the other was [c]Eliezer (for
he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of
Pharaoh”); 5 and 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. 6 Now he had said to
Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons
with her.”

7 So 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. 8 And 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. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom
He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 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, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they
[d]behaved proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, [e]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.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people
stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So 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 [f]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until
evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of
God. 16 When they have a [g]difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and
another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 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. 19 Listen now to my voice; I
will give you [h]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so
that you may bring the difficulties to God. 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. 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. 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. 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.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 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. 26 So they judged the
people at all times; the hard[i] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small
case themselves.

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

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