| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. | 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. |
| 2Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, | 2Now Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses's wife, after he had sent her back, |
| 3with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”) | 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") |
| 4and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my 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 rescued me from Pharaoh's sword"). |
| 5and Jethro, 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. | 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. |
| 6Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your 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." |
| 7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went 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 to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had 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 rescued them. |
| 9Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for 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 has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. | 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! |
| 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” | 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel." |
| 12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. | 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. |
| 13And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. | 13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. |
| 14So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you 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?" |
| 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to 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 difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known 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." |
| 17So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. | 17"What you're doing is not good," Moses's father-in-law said to him. |
| 18Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. | 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. |
| 19Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to 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 you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. | 20Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. |
| 21Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, 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 dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. |
| 22And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. | 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. |
| 23If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will 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 heeded 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. |
| 26So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. | 26They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves. |
| 27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land. | 27Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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