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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Exodus 18:17

But he said: The thing thou dost is not good.

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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Moses father in law said vnto him, The thing which thou doest, is not well.
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.
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 And the next day Moses sat to judge the people, who stood by Moses from morning until night. 14 And when his kinsman had seen all things that he did among the people, he said: What is it that thou dost among the people? Why sittest thou alone, and all the people wait from morning till night? 15 And Moses answered him: The people come to me to seek the judgment of God? 16 And when any controversy falleth out among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to shew the precepts of God, and his laws. 17 But he said: The thing thou dost is not good. 18 Thou art spent with foolish labour, both thou, and this people that is with thee; the business is above thy strength, thou alone canst not bear it. 19 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: 20 And to shew the people the ceremonies, and the manner of worshipping; and the way wherein they ought to walk, and the work that they ought to do. 21 And provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, in whom there is truth, and that hate avarice, and appoint of them rulers of thousands, and of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens, 22 Who may judge the people at all times: and when any great matter soever shall fall out, let them refer it to thee, and let them judge the lesser matters only: that so it may be lighter for thee, the burden being shared out unto others.

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
And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
2 Kings 4:27
And when she came to the man of God, to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
2 Chronicles 20:7
Didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
Psalms 25:14
(24-14) The Lord is a firmament to them that fear him: and his covenant shall be made manifest to them.
John 15:15
I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends. because all things, whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend 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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