| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 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; | 1Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for 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 back Moses' wife Zipporah after she had been sent away, |
| 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. The name of the one was Gershom, because he used to say, "I was an alien 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: | 4while the name of the other was Eliezer, because he used to say, "My father's God helped me 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, together with Moses' two sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert 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 told Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you along 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. | 7When Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, he bowed low and kissed him, and they greeted one another. Then they 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 told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on Israel's behalf, all the hardships that they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had 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 that the LORD had done for Israel in delivering them from 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. | 10Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from the oppression 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 the LORD is greater than all other gods, because of what happened to the Egyptians when they 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. | 12Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to dine with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. |
| 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 the people 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 all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, with all the people standing 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 told his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. |
| 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. | 16When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a person and his neighbor, and make known the statutes of God and his instructions." |
| 17And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. | 17Moses' father-in-law told him, "What you are doing is not good. |
| 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 yourself out, both you and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself. |
| 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'll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God. |
| 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. | 20You are to teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they're to go and the things they're to 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: | 21You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over 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 are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you, but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they'll 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 commands you, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will also go to their homes in peace." |
| 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. | 25Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over 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; the difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every minor matter they judged. |
| 27And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land. | 27Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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