| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 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. | 1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. |
| 2Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife Zipporah after he had sent her back, | 2After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her |
| 3and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for Moses had said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land"), | 3and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become a foreigner in a foreign land"; |
| 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"). | 4and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh." |
| 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. | 5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. |
| 6He said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons with her." | 6Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." |
| 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. | 7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. |
| 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. | 8Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them. |
| 9Jethro rejoiced because of all the good that the LORD had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of Egypt. | 9Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. |
| 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! | 10He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. |
| 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." | 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly." |
| 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. | 12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. |
| 13On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. | 13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till 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?" | 14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" |
| 15Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. | 15Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. |
| 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." | 16Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and instructions." |
| 17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good! | 17Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. |
| 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. | 18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. |
| 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; | 19Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. |
| 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. | 20Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. |
| 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. | 21But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. |
| 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. | 22Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. |
| 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." | 23If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied." |
| 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said. | 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. |
| 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. | 25He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. |
| 26They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves. | 26They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. |
| 27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and so Jethro went to his own land. | 27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country. |
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