Jethro

15When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses ran away from Pharaoh. He went to live in the land of Midian. There he sat down by a well.

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

NoteMidian was a dry land far away, out past the edge of Egypt. Moses had to cross the desert to get there.

16The priest of Midian, the man who led the worship there, had seven daughters. They came and drew water. They filled the water tubs for their father's sheep and goats.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

NoteA well is a deep hole dug down to water underground. In a dry land, the well was the place everyone came to.

17Some shepherds came and chased the girls away. But Moses stood up and helped them. He gave water to their animals.

And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18The girls came home to their father Reuel. He said, "How did you get back so early today?"

And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

NoteLater in the story this same man is called Jethro. People back then could be known by two names.

19They said, "An Egyptian man saved us from the shepherds. He even drew plenty of water for us and gave it to the animals."

And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

20He said to his daughters, "So where is he? Why did you leave the man behind? Call him, so he can have something to eat."

And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

21Moses was glad to stay with the man. The man gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

NoteIn those days a father chose the man his daughter would marry. Reuel chose Moses for Zipporah.

22She had a son. Moses named him Gershom. He said, "I have been a stranger in a land that is not mine."

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

NoteThe name Gershom sounds like the Hebrew words for a stranger there. Moses picked a name that told his own story.

1Moses took care of the sheep of Jethro, his wife's father. Jethro was a priest in the land of Midian. Moses led the sheep far across the desert. He came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

NoteA priest was a man who helped people worship God. Midian was a land far from Egypt, past the desert. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai. Moses had run away from Egypt and lived here now.

18Moses went back to Jethro, his wife's father. He said, "Please let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I want to see if they are still alive." Jethro said, "Go in peace."

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

NoteJethro was the father of Moses' wife. Moses had lived with Jethro's family for many years.

19The LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt. All the men who wanted to kill you are dead."

And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

NoteLong before this, Moses hurt an Egyptian man and ran away. The king wanted him caught. Now those men were dead.

20Moses took his wife and his sons. He put them on a donkey. They started back to the land of Egypt. Moses carried God's stick in his hand.

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

NoteThis is the same walking stick from before. It is called God's stick because God did wonders with it.

1Jethro was a priest in Midian, a man who led people in worship. He was the father of Moses' wife. He heard about all that God had done for Moses and for God's people Israel. He heard that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

NoteMidian was a land far from Egypt, out past the desert. When you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own special name.

2Moses had sent his wife Zipporah back home. Jethro, the father of Moses' wife, had taken her in.

Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

NoteMoses had gone to Egypt to help God's people. He sent his wife and boys to stay with her father. They were safe there while he was away.

3He also had her two sons. One son was named Gershom. Moses had said, "I have been a stranger in a land that is not mine."

And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

NoteNames in the Bible often mean something. Gershom sounds like the words for "a stranger there" in Hebrew. Hebrew was the language Moses spoke.

4The other son was named Eliezer. Moses had said, "My father's God was my helper. He saved me from the sword of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt."

And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

NoteEliezer means "my God is my helper." Pharaoh was the king of Egypt. He had once tried to kill Moses.

5So Jethro came out to Moses in the desert. He brought Moses' wife and her sons with him. Moses was camped at the mountain of God.

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

NoteThis mountain is also called Mount Sinai. It is where God talked with Moses. The people had put up their tents at the bottom of it.

6He said to Moses, "I am Jethro, the father of your wife. I have come to you. Your wife and her two sons are with me."

And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7Moses went out to meet him. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked each other how they were doing. Then they went into the tent.

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

NoteBowing low was a way to show honor to someone. A kiss on the cheek was how family said hello.

8Moses told him all the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, to help Israel. He told about all the hard trouble they had along the way. He told how the LORD had saved them.

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

9Jethro was very glad about all the good the LORD had done for Israel. The LORD had saved them out of the hands of the Egyptians.

And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10Jethro said, "May the LORD be praised! He saved you from the hands of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh. He set the people free from the power of the Egyptians.

And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, 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 the LORD is greater than all gods. When they acted proudly, he showed he was above them."

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

NoteLong ago most people worshiped many different gods. Jethro is saying the LORD is greater than all of them.

12Jethro brought God a burnt offering and other gifts. A burnt offering is a gift to God that is burned up. Aaron came too, with all the older leaders of Israel. They ate bread with Jethro before God.

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.

NoteA burnt offering was a gift given to God on a stone table called an altar. The gift was burned there. Aaron was the brother of Moses. Sharing a meal together showed that people were friends.

24So Moses listened to the father of his wife. He did everything Jethro said.

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

25Moses chose able men from all Israel. He made them leaders over the people. Some led a thousand, some a hundred, some fifty, and some ten.

And 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.

26They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses. They judged the small cases themselves.

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

27Then Moses sent Jethro on his way. Jethro went back to his own land.

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

NoteJethro went back to Midian, the land where he lived.

29Moses spoke to Hobab. Hobab's father was Reuel from Midian, and Reuel was Moses' father-in-law. Moses said, "We are going to the land God promised to give us. Come with us, and we will be good to you. God has promised good things to Israel."

And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.

NoteMidian was a land far to the south. Moses lived there for many years before God sent him to Egypt.

30Hobab said, "No, I will not go. I am going back to my own land and my own family."

And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.

31Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know this desert. You know the good places to camp. You can be our eyes."

And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.

32"If you come with us, we will share with you. Whatever good things God gives us, we will give you too."

And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.