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Chapter 18
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1
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When 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; |
2
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Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses'
wife, after he had sent her back, |
3
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And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom;
for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: |
4
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And 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: |
5
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And 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: |
6
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And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am
come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. |
7
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And 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. |
8
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And 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. |
9
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And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD
had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand
of the Egyptians. |
10
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And 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. |
11
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Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for
in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. |
12
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And 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. |
13
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And 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. |
14
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And 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? |
15
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And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people
come unto me to inquire of God: |
16
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When 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. |
17
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And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that
thou doest is not good. |
18
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Thou 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. |
19
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Hearken 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: |
20
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And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt
show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work
that they must do. |
21
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Moreover 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: |
22
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And 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. |
23
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If 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. |
24
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So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law,
and did all that he had said. |
25
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And 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. |
26
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And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes
they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged
themselves. |
27
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And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his
way into his own land. |
