| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Moses's father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God's people Israel when the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt. | 1Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. |
| 2Now Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses's wife, after he had sent her back, | 2Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife Zipporah after he had sent her back, |
| 3along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, "I have been a resident alien in a foreign land") | 3and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for Moses had said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land"), |
| 4and the other Eliezer (because he had said, "The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh's sword"). | 4and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, "The God of my father has been my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh"). |
| 5Moses's father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses's wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. | 5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camping by the mountain of God. |
| 6He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." | 6He said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons with her." |
| 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. | 7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; they each asked about the other's welfare, and then they went into the tent. |
| 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 rescued them. | 8Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel's sake, and all the hardship that had come on them along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. |
| 9Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. | 9Jethro rejoiced because of all the good that the LORD had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of Egypt. |
| 10"Blessed be the LORD," Jethro exclaimed, "who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt! | 10Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from the Egyptians' control! |
| 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel." | 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them." |
| 12Then Jethro, Moses's 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's father-in-law in God's presence. | 12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat food with the father-in-law of Moses before God. |
| 13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. | 13On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. |
| 14When Moses's 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?" | 14When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?" |
| 15Moses replied to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. | 15Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. |
| 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." | 16When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the decrees of God and his laws." |
| 17"What you're doing is not good," Moses's father-in-law said to him. | 17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good! |
| 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. | 18You will surely wear out, both you and these people who are with you, for this is too heavy a burden for you; you are not able to do it by yourself. |
| 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. | 19Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God; |
| 20Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. | 20warn them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. |
| 21But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. | 21But you choose from the people capable men, God-fearing, men of truth, those who hate bribes, and put them over the people as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. |
| 22They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. | 22They will judge the people under normal circumstances, and every difficult case they will bring to you, but every small case they themselves will judge, so that you may make it easier for yourself, and they will bear the burden with you. |
| 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." | 23If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will be able to go home satisfied." |
| 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. | 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said. |
| 25So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. | 25Moses chose capable men from all Israel, and he made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. |
| 26They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves. | 26They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves. |
| 27Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land. | 27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and so Jethro went to his own land. |
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