Exodus 第18章
Jethro’s Advice
118:1 [ch. 2:18] Jethro, 18:1 ver. 12; ch. 2:16the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home,
3along with her 18:3 ch. 4:20; Acts 7:29two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (18:3 ch. 2:22for he said, 18:3 Ps. 39:12; Heb. 11:13“I have been a sojourner18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner in a foreign land”),
4and the name of the other, Eliezer18:4 Eliezer means My God is help (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”).
5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the 18:5 See ch. 3:1mountain of God.
6And when he sent word to Moses, “I,18:6 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac behold your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,”
7Moses 18:7 Gen. 14:17; 18:2; 19:1; 1 Kgs. 2:19went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and 18:7 [Gen. 29:13; 33:4]; 2 Sam. 19:39kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.
8Then Moses told his father-in-law 18:8 See Neh. 9:9-15; Ps. 78:12-28, 42-53; 106:7-12all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.
9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10Jethro said, 18:10 Gen. 14:20; 2 Sam. 18:28; Luke 1:68“Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11Now I know that 18:11 1 Chr. 16:25; 2 Chr. 2:5; Ps. 95:3; 97:9; 135:5the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they 18:11 Neh. 9:10; [Ps. 119:21; Dan. 4:37; Luke 1:51]dealt arrogantly with the people.”18:11 Hebrew with them
12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law 18:12 Deut. 12:7; 14:26; 1 Chr. 29:22; [ch. 24:11; Gen. 31:54]before God.
13The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.
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 sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because 18:15 [Lev. 24:12; Num. 15:34]the people come to me to inquire of God;
1618:16 ch. 24:14; Deut. 17:8; [2 Sam. 15:2, 3; 1 Cor. 6:1] when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I 18:16 Deut. 4:5; 5:1make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”
17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
18You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. 18:18 Num. 11:14, 17; Deut. 1:9, 12You are not able to do it alone.
19Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall 18:19 ch. 4:16; [ch. 20:19; Deut. 5:5] represent the people before God and 18:19 Num. 27:5bring their cases to God,
20and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know 18:20 Ps. 143:8the way in which they must walk and 18:20 Deut. 1:18what they must do.
21Moreover, look for 18:21 Deut. 1:15; 16:18; See 2 Chr. 19:5-10; [Acts 6:3]able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22And 18:22 ver. 26let them judge the people at all times. 18:22 Lev. 24:11; Num. 15:33; 27:2; 36:1; Deut. 1:17; 17:8Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will 18:22 Num. 11:17bear the burden with you.
24So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
2518:25 Deut. 1:15Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26And 18:26 ver. 22they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.
27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and 18:27 [Num. 10:29, 30]he went away to his own country.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.