| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 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; | 1Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. |
| 2Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, | 2Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, |
| 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: | 3along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land") |
| 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: | 4and the other Eliezer (because he had said, "The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword"). |
| 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: | 5Moses' father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses' wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. |
| 6And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. | 6He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 delivered them. |
| 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. | 9Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel when He rescued them from the power 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. | 10Praise the LORD," Jethro exclaimed, "who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians. |
| 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. | 11Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because He did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel." |
| 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. | 12Then Jethro, Moses' 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' father-in-law in God's presence. |
| 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. | 13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until 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? | 14When Moses' 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?" |
| 15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: | 15Moses replied to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. |
| 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. | 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."" |
| 17And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. | 17What you're doing is not good," Moses' father-in-law said to him. " |
| 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. | 18You 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. |
| 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: | 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. |
| 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. | 20Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. |
| 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: | 21But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. |
| 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. | 22They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. |
| 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. | 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." |
| 24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. | 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. |
| 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. | 25So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. |
| 26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. | 26They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves. |
| 27And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land. | 27Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land. |
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