| English Standard Version | King James Bible |
| 1Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. | 1When 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; |
| 2Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, | 2Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, |
| 3along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), | 3And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: |
| 4and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). | 4And 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: |
| 5Jethro, 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. | 5And 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: |
| 6And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” | 6And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. |
| 7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. | 7And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. |
| 8Then 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 in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. | 8And 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. |
| 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. | 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. |
| 10Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. | 10And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. |
| 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” | 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. |
| 12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. | 12And 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. |
| 13The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. | 13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the 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 do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” | 14And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? |
| 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; | 15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: |
| 16when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” | 16When 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. |
| 17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. | 17And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. |
| 18You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. | 18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. |
| 19Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, | 19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: |
| 20and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. | 20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. |
| 21Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. | 21Moreover thou shalt 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: |
| 22And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. | 22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. |
| 23If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” | 23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. |
| 24So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. | 24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. |
| 25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. | 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. |
| 26And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. | 26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. |
| 27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country. | 27And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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