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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Exodus 18:19

Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jethro;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Judge;   Moses;   Ruler;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Exodus, Book of;   Judge (Office);   Rephidim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Jethro;   Judges;   Justice;   Moses;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Decision;   Gate, East;   Jethro;   Judge;   Judging;   Moses;   Ward;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Appeal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jethro;   Judge;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
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.
King James Version
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
Lexham English Bible
Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God.
New Century Version
Now listen to me, and I will give you some advice. I want God to be with you. You must speak to God for the people and tell him about their disagreements.
New English Translation
Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God;
Amplified Bible
"Now listen to me; I will advise you, and may God be with you [to confirm my advice]. You shall represent the people before God. You shall bring their disputes and causes to Him.
New American Standard Bible
"Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,
Geneva Bible (1587)
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,
Legacy Standard Bible
Now listen to my voice: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the matters to God;
Contemporary English Version
God will help you if you follow my advice. You should be the one to speak to God for the people,
Complete Jewish Bible
So listen now to what I have to say. I will give you some advice, and God will be with you. You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases to God.
Darby Translation
Hearken now to my voice: I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring the matters before God;
Easy-to-Read Version
Now, listen to me. Let me give you some advice. And I pray God will be with you. You should continue listening to the problems of the people. And you should continue to speak to God about these things.
English Standard Version
Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
George Lamsa Translation
Listen now to my voice, I will give you counsel, and God shall be with you; you must become a teacher from God to the people, to bring their disputes before God;
Christian Standard Bible®
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.
Literal Translation
Now listen to my voice. I will counsel you, and may God be with you. You be for this people before God, and you bring the matters to God.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But herken vnto my voyce, I will geue the councell, and God shall be with the. Be thou vnto the people to God warde, and brynge the causes before God,
American Standard Version
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God:
Bible in Basic English
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:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Heare therfore nowe my voyce, and I wyll geue thee councell, and God shalbe with thee: Be thou vnto the people to Godwarde, that thou mayest bring the causes vnto God:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people before God, and bring thou the causes unto God.
King James Version (1611)
Hearken now vnto my voyce, I will giue thee counsell, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes vnto God:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now then hearken to me, and I will advise thee, and God shall be with thee: be thou to the people in the things pertaining to God, and thou shalt bring their matters to God.
English Revised Version
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God:
Berean Standard Bible
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But here thou my wordis and counseils, and the Lord schal be with thee; be thou to the puple in these thingis that perteynen to God, that thou telle the thingis that ben seid to the puple;
Young's Literal Translation
`Now, hearken to my voice, I counsel thee, and God is with thee: be thou for the people over-against God, and thou hast brought in the things unto God;
Update Bible Version
Now listen to my voice, I will give you counsel, and God be with you: be for the people toward God, and you bring the causes to God:
Webster's Bible Translation
Hearken now to my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people toward God, that thou mayest bring the causes to God:
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
New Living Translation
Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people's representative before God, bringing their disputes to him.
New Life Bible
Now listen to me. I will tell you what you should do, and God be with you. You speak for the people before God. Bring the troubles to God.
New Revised Standard
Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, hearken thou to my voice - let me counsel thee, and may God be with thee: Be, thou, for the people, in front of God, so shalt, thou, bring the matters unto God;
Douay-Rheims Bible
But hear my words and counsels, and God shall be with thee. Be thou to the people in those things that pertain to God, to bring their words to him:
Revised Standard Version
Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,

Contextual Overview

13 The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night. 14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, "What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?" 15 Moses answered, "I must do this because the people come to me to learn God's will. 16 When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God's commands and laws." 17 Then Jethro said, "You are not doing this right. 18 You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone. 19 Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 You should teach them God's commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do. 21 But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed. 22 Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Hearken: Exodus 18:24, Proverbs 9:9

God shall: Exodus 3:12, Exodus 4:12, Genesis 39:2, Deuteronomy 20:1, Joshua 1:9, 2 Samuel 14:17, Matthew 28:20

Be thou: Exodus 18:15, Exodus 4:16, Exodus 20:19, Deuteronomy 5:5

bring: Numbers 27:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:33 - look out Numbers 9:6 - they came Numbers 27:2 - General Deuteronomy 33:5 - king Judges 4:5 - came up 1 Samuel 15:6 - ye showed 2 Chronicles 19:8 - the judgment Ecclesiastes 10:10 - wisdom Matthew 23:3 - whatsoever 2 Corinthians 3:4 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 18:2
he looked up and saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran out to meet them. Bowing down with his face touching the ground,
Genesis 18:4
Let me bring some water for you to wash your feet; you can rest here beneath this tree.
Genesis 18:5
I will also bring a bit of food; it will give you strength to continue your journey. You have honored me by coming to my home, so let me serve you." They replied, "Thank you; we accept."
Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick, take a sack of your best flour, and bake some bread."
Genesis 18:7
Then he ran to the herd and picked out a calf that was tender and fat, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to get it ready.
Genesis 18:9
Then they asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" "She is there in the tent," he answered.
Genesis 18:10
One of them said, "Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening.
Genesis 18:19
I have chosen him in order that he may command his sons and his descendants to obey me and to do what is right and just. If they do, I will do everything for him that I have promised."
Genesis 18:20
Then the Lord said to Abraham, "There are terrible accusations against Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin is very great.
Genesis 18:21
I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel,.... Jethro being the elder man, and of some character and figure, being either a priest or prince of Midian, or both, might, without incurring a censure, take upon him to give advice to Moses, a younger man, and his son-in-law, though he was superior to him in office and in parts; and especially since his advice proceeded from a sincere and cordial regard for his health and welfare:

and God shall be with thee: and succeed the advice he gave, which he persuaded himself would be agreeable to the will of God, and attending to it he would prosper, and find that the method taken would be blessed of God, and issue in his own good and the good of the people; or it may be taken prayerwise, as by some, "may God be with thee" s; to direct thee to what thou shouldest do, either to take the advice, or reject it; and be it as it will, he wished him well, and that he might have his health, and that as his day was, his strength might be:

be thou for the people to God-ward; or on the part of God, as Aben Ezra interprets it; that part of his work he advised him to retain by all means, which lay more immediately between God and the people; to be a mediator between them; to transact affairs for them with God; to inquire his mind and will in matters difficult and doubtful; to be, as Jarchi expresses it, a messenger and interpreter between them, and an inquirer of judgments of him, or what statutes and judgments he would have observed by them: that thou mayest bring the causes unto God; concerning which, as yet, he had given no directions as a rule to go by.

s ויהי אלהים עמך see Poole in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Counsel - Jethro draws the distinction between the functions of the legislator and the judge.

To God-ward - Literally, “before God,” standing between them and God, both as His minister or representative and also as the representative of the people, their agent, so to speak, or deputy before God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 18:19. I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee — Jethro seems to have been a man of great understanding and prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and excellent; and it was probably given under the immediate inspiration of God, for after such sacrificial rites, and public acknowledgment of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting such measures before, but he chose in this case to help man by man, and in the present instance a permanent basis was laid to consolidate the union of the two families, and prevent all future misunderstandings.


 
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