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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Geneva Bible

Exodus 18:17

But Moses father in law said vnto him, The thing which thou doest, is not well.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Moses;   Prudence;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courts;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Kenites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jethro;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Judge;   Moses;   Ruler;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Deuteronomy, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Exodus, Book of;   Rephidim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jethro;   Judges;   Justice;   Moses;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Trial-At-Law;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Sinai;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Decision;   Jethro;   Judge;   Judging;   Moses;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Appeal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jethro;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.
King James Version
And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Lexham English Bible
And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.
New Century Version
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "You are not doing this right.
New English Translation
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good!
Amplified Bible
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.
New American Standard Bible
Moses' father-in-law then said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.
Contemporary English Version
Jethro replied: That isn't the best way to do it.
Complete Jewish Bible
Moshe's father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing isn't good.
Darby Translation
And Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou art doing is not good.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Moses' father-in-law said to him, "This isn't the right way to do this.
English Standard Version
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
George Lamsa Translation
And Moses father-in-law said to him, The thing that you are doing is not good.
Good News Translation
Then Jethro said, "You are not doing this right.
Christian Standard Bible®
“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him.
Literal Translation
And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, The thing which you do is not good.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
His father in lawe sayde vnto him: It is not well that thou doest.
American Standard Version
And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Bible in Basic English
And Moses' father-in-law said to him, What you are doing is not good.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses father in lawe sayde vnto hym: It is not well that thou doest.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses' father-in-law said unto him: 'The thing that thou doest is not good.
King James Version (1611)
And Moses father in law saide vnto him, The thing that thou doest, is not good.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, Thou dost not this thing rightly,
English Revised Version
And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Berean Standard Bible
But Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jetro seide, Thou doist a thing not good,
Young's Literal Translation
And the father-in-law of Moses saith unto him, `The thing which thou art doing [is] not good;
Update Bible Version
And Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that you do is not good.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses's father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good.
World English Bible
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.
New King James Version
So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.
New Living Translation
"This is not good!" Moses' father-in-law exclaimed.
New Life Bible
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
New Revised Standard
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Moses' father-in-law unto him, - Not good, is the thing that thou art doing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he said: The thing thou dost is not good.
Revised Standard Version
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
THE MESSAGE
Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.

Contextual Overview

13 Now on the morow, when Moses sate to iudge the people, the people stoode about Moses from morning vnto euen. 14 And when Moses father in law saw all that he did to the people, he sayde, What is this that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thy selfe alone, and all the people stande about thee from morning vnto euen? 15 And Moses sayd vnto his father in law, Because the people come vnto me to seeke God. 16 When they haue a matter, they come vnto me, and I iudge betweene one and another, and declare the ordinances of God, and his lawes. 17 But Moses father in law said vnto him, The thing which thou doest, is not well. 18 Thou both weariest thy selfe greatly, & this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heauie for thee: thou art not able to doe it thy selfe alone. 19 Heare nowe my voyce, (I will giue thee counsell, and God shalbe with thee) be thou for the people to Godwarde, and report thou the causes vnto God, 20 And admonish them of the ordinances, & of the lawes, & shew them the way, wherein they must walke, and the worke that they must do. 21 Moreouer, prouide thou among al the people men of courage, fearing God, men dealing truely, hating couetousnesse: and appoynt such ouer them to be rulers ouer thousandes, rulers ouer hundreths, rulers ouer fifties, and rulers ouer tennes. 22 And let them iudge the people at all seasons: but euery great matter let them bring vnto thee, and let them iudge all small causes: so shall it be easier for thee, when they shal beare the burden with thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

not good: Exodus 18:14, Deuteronomy 1:12, 1 Kings 3:8, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 Kings 13:18, 2 Chronicles 19:6, Matthew 17:4, John 13:6-10

Reciprocal: Genesis 20:7 - a prophet Proverbs 27:9 - so Acts 6:2 - we should

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then the Lord rained vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorah brimstone, & fire from the Lord out of heauen,
2 Kings 4:27
And when shee came to the man of God vnto the moutaine, she caught him by his feete: and Gehazi went to her, to thrust her away: but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soule is vexed within her, and the Lorde hath hid it from me, and hath not told it mee.
2 Chronicles 20:7
Diddest not thou our God cast out ye inhabitants of this lande before thy people Israel, and gauest it to the seede of Abraham thy friende for euer?
Psalms 25:14
The secrete of the Lorde is reueiled to them, that feare him: and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding.
John 15:15
Henceforth call I you not seruants: for the seruant knoweth not what his master doeth: but I haue called you friends: for all things that I haue heard of my Father, haue I made knowen to you.
James 2:23
And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse: and hee was called the friende of God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses's father in law said unto him,.... Having observed what he did, and heard his answer to the question he put to him:

the thing that thou doest is not good; not meaning that it was not morally good, or that it was morally evil; for it was certainly a good thing to inquire of the mind and will of God for the people, and to hear and decide matters in controversy between them, and do justice to both parties; but it was not good for the health of Moses; it was not commodious and convenient for him; it was not for his bodily welfare; it was too much for him, as he explains himself in the next verse.


 
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