UST by section EXO 18:1

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The Book of Exodus 18

18 Jethro, who was the priest for the people of Midian, and who was also Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for God’s people, the Israelites. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt. 2 Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and his two sons back home when he was returning to Egypt. So when Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to him, he brought her 3 and her sons. One son’s name was Gershom, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means “foreigner,” because Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another land.” 4 Her other son’s name was Eliezer, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means “God helps me,” because Moses had said, “God, whom my father worshiped, has helped me and saved me from the king of Egypt killing me.”

5 While Moses and the Israelites camped in the wilderness near Sinai, God’s holy mountain, Jethro (Moses’s father-in-law) came to him, bringing along Moses’ wife and two sons. 6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses, “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you. I am bringing your wife and her two sons!” 7 So Moses went out of the campsite to meet his father-in-law. He bowed before him and kissed him on the cheek. They both asked each other, “Have you been well?” Then they went into Moses’ tent. 8 Moses told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the other people in Egypt in order to help the Israelite people. He also told him about the troubles they had experienced on the way, and about how Yahweh had helped them.

9 Jethro praised Yahweh when he heard that Yahweh had rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and had been very good to them. 10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful Egyptian army and from the powerful Egyptian king and has set the Israelites free from the control of the Egyptians! 11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued the Israelites from their proud enemies.” 12 Then Jethro (who was Moses’ father-in-law) brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices for God. Aaron and the Israelite elders came and ate a meal with Moses’ father-in-law to honor God.

13 The next day, Moses sat down at the place where he settled disputes among the people. The people asked Moses to judge their disputes from the morning until the evening. 14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “Do not lead the people this way. You should not sit here alone letting everyone demand that you judge for them all day!”

15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “I am doing this because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires. 16 When they cannot agree about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. When I decide, I also explain to them how God’s laws and instructions apply in that situation.”

17 Jethro said to him, “What you are doing is not beneficial. 18 You and these people will wear yourselves out! This work is too much for you. You are not able to do it by yourself. 19 Now listen to what I will tell you to do. If you do what I suggest, God will help you. You should continue to represent the people to God and tell him about the people’s disputes. 20 You should also teach them God’s law and instructions. You should also explain to them how they should act and the things that they should do. 21 In addition, you should find some capable Israelite men to help you. Choose men who respect God, who are trustworthy, and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions for groups of ten people, some for groups of fifty people, some for groups of a hundred people, and some for groups of a thousand people. 22 Allow them to settle disputes for the people usually. It should work like this: The difficult matters they can bring to you, but the matters that are simple, they can decide themselves. Do this to make the work easier for you as they help you do that work. 23 If you do that, you will be able to continue doing what God commands, and all the people will be able to live peacefully with each other.”

24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that Jethro told him. 25 Then Moses chose capable men from among the Israelite people and made them chiefs over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 They usually settled disputes for the people. They brought the difficult cases to Moses, but they decided the simple cases by themselves.

27 Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.

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