The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Exodus 18

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Exodus chapter 18 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that G-d had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, how that HaShem had…” — the complete text of all 27 verses is below, free to read online.

1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that G-d had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, how that HaShem had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

3and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said: 'I have been a stranger in a strange land';

4and the name of the other was Eliezer: 'for the G-d of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.'

5And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of G-d;

6and he said unto Moses: 'I thy father-in-law Jethro am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.'

7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.

8And Moses told his father-in-law all that HaShem had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how HaShem delivered them.

9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which HaShem had done to Israel, in that He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10And Jethro said: 'Blessed be HaShem, 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.

11Now I know that HaShem is greater than all gods; yea, for that they dealt proudly against them.'

12And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for G-d; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before G-d.

13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14And 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 about thee from morning unto even?'

15And Moses said unto his father-in-law: 'Because the people come unto me to inquire of G-d;

16when they have a matter, it cometh unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of G-d, and His laws.'

17And Moses' father-in-law said unto him: 'The thing that thou doest is not good.

18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and G-d be with thee: be thou for the people before G-d, and bring thou the causes unto G-d.

20And thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear G-d, 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.

22And 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 themselves; so shall they make it easier for thee and bear the burden with thee.

23If thou shalt do this thing, and G-d command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace.'

24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had 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.

26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

27 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

‹ Exodus 17 Exodus 19 ›

Read, search & bookmark — free

This text opens instantly in the FourFaiths reader, with full-text search across every book, bookmarks saved in your browser, reading plans and a verse of the day. No account, no tracking — everything runs locally in your browser.

Open in the Tanakh reader →