Exodus · Bible in Basic English
Exodus 18 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Now news came to Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, of all God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, and how the Lord had taken Israel out of Egypt.
1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,
2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 And her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom, for he said, I have been living in a strange land:
3 and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, The God of my father was my help, and kept me safe from the sword of Pharaoh:
4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to where Moses had put up his tent in the waste land, by the mountain of God.
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.
6 And he said to Moses, I, your father-in-law, have come to you, with your wife and your two sons.
6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 And Moses went out to his father-in-law, and went down on his face before him and gave him a kiss; and they said to one another, Are you well? and they came into the tent.
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses gave his father-in-law an account of all the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians because of Israel, and of all the troubles which had come on them by the way, and how the Lord had given them salvation.
8 Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them.
9 And Jethro was glad because the Lord had been good to Israel, freeing them from the power of the Egyptians.
9 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Praise be to the Lord, who has taken you out of the hand of Pharaoh and out of the hand of the Egyptians; freeing the people from the yoke of the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I am certain that the Lord is greater than all gods, for he has overcome them in their pride.
11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, made a burned offering to God: and Aaron came, with the chiefs of Israel, and had a meal with Moses' father-in-law, before God.
12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 Now on the day after, Moses took his seat to give decisions for the people: and the people were waiting before Moses from morning till evening.
13 On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 And when Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing, he said, What is this you are doing for the people? why are you seated here by yourself, with all the people waiting before you from morning till evening?
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”
15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to get directions from God:
15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 And if they have any question between themselves, they come to me, and I am judge between a man and his neighbour, and I give them the orders and laws of God.
16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”
17 And Moses' father-in-law said to him, What you are doing is not good.
17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 Your strength and that of the people will be completely used up: this work is more than you are able to do by yourself.
18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.
19 Give ear now to my suggestion, and may God be with you: you are to be the people's representative before God, taking their causes to him:
19 Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.
20 Teaching them his rules and his laws, guiding them in the way they have to go, and making clear to them the work they have to do.
20 You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 But for the rest, take from among the people able men, such as have the fear of God, true men hating profits wrongly made; and put such men over them, to be captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and of tens;
21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22 And let them be judges in the causes of the people at all times: and let them put before you all important questions, but in small things let them give decisions themselves: in this way, it will be less hard for you, and they will take the weight off you.
22 Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.
23 If you do this, and God gives approval, then you will be able to go on without weariness, and all this people will go to their tents in peace.
23 If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses took note of the words of his father-in-law, and did as he had said.
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 And he made selection of able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and of tens.
25 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 And they were judges in the causes of the people at all times: the hard questions they put before Moses; but on every small point they gave decisions themselves.
26 They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses let his father-in-law go away, and he went back to his land.
27 Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, Israel's first high priest.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 4–40; Leviticus 8–10
Eliezer
Moses' second son, named 'God is my help' in thanks for deliverance from Pharaoh.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 18:4; 1 Chronicles 23:15
Gershom
Moses' firstborn son, born during his years of exile in the land of Midian.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2:22; Exodus 18:3
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Jethro
The priest of Midian, also called Reuel, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses, brought her and her two sons to Moses at the mountain of God, and advised him to appoint capable…
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2:18; Exodus 3:1; Exodus 18:1
Zipporah
The Midianite daughter of Jethro who became Moses' wife in the wilderness.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2:16-22; Exodus 4:24-26; Exodus 18
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 77:14–15; Exodus 2:16; Exodus 3:1; Psalm 106:8–11; Psalm 78:50–53
- 2 Exodus 2:21; Exodus 4:25–26
- 3 Exodus 2:22; Acts 7:29; Exodus 4:20; Psalm 39:12; Hebrews 11:13
- 4 Acts 12:11; Hebrews 13:6; 2 Corinthians 1:8–10; 2 Timothy 4:17; Isaiah 50:7–9
- 5 Exodus 3:1; Exodus 3:12; Exodus 24:16–17; 1 Kings 19:8; Exodus 19:11
- 7 Genesis 29:13; 2 Samuel 11:7; Genesis 19:1; Genesis 14:17; 1 Kings 2:19
- 8 Psalm 107:2; Psalm 78:42–43; Nehemiah 9:9–15; Psalm 81:7; Numbers 20:14
- 9 Romans 12:15; 1 Corinthians 12:26; Romans 12:10; Isaiah 66:10; Isaiah 44:23
- 10 2 Samuel 18:28; Genesis 14:20; Luke 1:68; Revelation 19:1–6; Ephesians 1:3
- 11 Psalm 95:3; Exodus 15:11; 2 Chronicles 2:5; Psalm 135:5; Luke 1:51
- 12 Deuteronomy 12:7; Genesis 31:54; Exodus 24:11; Exodus 24:5; Job 1:5
- 13 Romans 12:8; Joel 3:12; Job 29:7; Isaiah 16:5; Romans 13:6
- 15 Numbers 15:34; Numbers 27:5; Leviticus 24:12–14; Numbers 9:6; Exodus 18:19–20
- 16 Exodus 24:14; Deuteronomy 5:1; Deuteronomy 4:5; 2 Samuel 15:3; 1 Corinthians 6:1
- 18 Numbers 11:14–17; Acts 6:1–4; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 2:30; 1 Thessalonians 2:8–9
- 19 Numbers 27:5; Exodus 3:12; Exodus 20:19; Genesis 39:2; Deuteronomy 5:5
- 20 Deuteronomy 5:1; Psalm 143:8; Deuteronomy 1:18; Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 4:5
- 21 Acts 6:3; 2 Chronicles 19:5–10; Deuteronomy 1:13–17; Deuteronomy 16:18–19; 2 Samuel 23:3
- 22 Numbers 11:17; Leviticus 24:11; Numbers 27:2; Exodus 18:26; Deuteronomy 1:17–18
- 23 Exodus 18:18; 1 Samuel 8:6–7; 1 Samuel 8:22; Genesis 21:10–12; 2 Samuel 18:3
- 24 1 Corinthians 12:21; Proverbs 1:5; Ezra 10:2; Exodus 18:19; Exodus 18:2–5
- 25 Deuteronomy 1:15; Exodus 18:21; Acts 6:5
- 26 Exodus 18:22; Job 29:16; 1 Kings 3:16–28; Deuteronomy 17:8; Exodus 18:14–15
- 27 Numbers 10:29–30; Judges 19:9; Genesis 31:55; Genesis 24:59
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences