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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Exodus 18:13

The next day, Moses had the special job of judging the people. There were so many people that they had to stand before him all day.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Moses;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courts;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Judges of Israel;   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 - Moses;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Moses;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Rephidim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Exodus, Book of;   Rephidim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Decision;   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;   Elder in the Old Testament;   Israel, History of the People;   Jethro;   Judge;   Judging;   Moses;   Pentateuch;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Appeal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jethro;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It happened on the next day, that Moshe sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moshe from the morning to the evening.
King James Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
Lexham English Bible
And the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.
New Century Version
The next day Moses solved disagreements among the people, and the people stood around him from morning until night.
New English Translation
On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.
Amplified Bible
Now the next day Moses sat to judge [the disputes] the people [had with one another], and the people stood around Moses from dawn to dusk.
New American Standard Bible
And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now on the morow, when Moses sate to iudge the people, the people stoode about Moses from morning vnto euen.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening.
Contemporary English Version
The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening.
Complete Jewish Bible
(ii) The following day Moshe sat to settle disputes for the people, while the people stood around Moshe from morning till evening.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening.
English Standard Version
The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.
George Lamsa Translation
And it came to pass the next day that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from morning to evening.
Good News Translation
The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night.
Christian Standard Bible®
The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening.
Literal Translation
And it happened on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people. And the people stood beside Moses from the morning until the evening.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
On the next morow sat Moses to iudge the people, and the people stode roude aboute Moses from the mornynge vntyll ye euen.
American Standard Version
And 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.
Bible in Basic English
Now on the day after, Moses took his seat to give decisions for the people: and the people were waiting before Moses from morning till evening.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And on the morowe Moyses sate to iudge the people: and the people stoode about Moyses from morning vnto eue.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And 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.
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe on the morrow, that Moses sate to iudge the people: and the people stood by Moses, from the morning vnto the euening.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass after the morrow that Moses sat to judge the people, and all the people stood by Moses from morning till evening.
English Revised Version
And 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.
Berean Standard Bible
The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe in the tother dai Moises sat that he schulde deme the puple, that stood niy Moises, fro the morewtid til to euentid.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that Moses sitteth to judge the people, and the people stand before Moses, from the morning unto the evening;
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning to the evening.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening.
World English Bible
It happened on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
New King James Version
And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.
New Living Translation
The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people's disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.
New Life Bible
The next day Moses sat to judge the people. And the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.
New Revised Standard
The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat, to judge the people, - and the people stood by Moses, from the morning, until the evening.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the next day Moses sat to judge the people, who stood by Moses from morning until night.
Revised Standard Version
On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening.
THE MESSAGE
The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening.

Contextual Overview

13 The next day, Moses had the special job of judging the people. There were so many people that they had to stand before him all day. 14 Jethro saw Moses judging the people. He asked, "Why are you doing this? Why are you the only judge? And why do people come to you all day?" 15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, "The people come to me and ask me to ask for God's decision for their problem. 16 If people have an argument, they come to me, and I decide which person is right. In this way I teach the people God's laws and teachings." 17 But Moses' father-in-law said to him, "This isn't the right way to do this. 18 It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It wears you out. And it makes the people tired too. 19 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. 20 You should explain God's laws and teachings to the people. Warn them not to break the laws. Tell them the right way to live and what they should do. 21 But you should also choose some of the people to be judges and leaders. "Choose good men you can trust—men who respect God. Choose men who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men rulers over the people. There should be rulers over 1000 people, 100 people, 50 people, and even over ten people. 22 Let these rulers judge the people. If there is a very important case, then they can come to you and let you decide what to do. But they can decide the other cases themselves. In this way these men will share your work with you, and it will be easier for you to lead the people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Judges 5:10, Job 29:7, Isaiah 16:5, Joel 3:12, Matthew 23:2, Romans 12:8, Romans 13:6

Reciprocal: Numbers 27:2 - General Deuteronomy 1:12 - General Judges 4:5 - came up 1 Kings 3:16 - stood Jeremiah 21:12 - morning

Cross-References

John 2:25
He did not need anyone to tell him what a person was like. He already knew.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass on the morrow,.... The above Targum paraphrases it,

"on the day after the day of atonement:''

and so Jarchi observes the same, out of a book of theirs called Siphri; but rather this was either the day after the entertainment of Jethro with Aaron and the elders in the tent of Moses, or the day after Jethro's coming, as Aben Ezra:

that Moses sat to judge the people; though his father-in-law was come to visit him, yet he did not neglect the care of his people, and the business that lay upon his hands for their good, civil and religious; but, the very day following his coming, closely applied himself to hear and judge causes; and such a vast body of people must find him work enough; and especially if we consider their quarrelsome disposition, for if they were so to one another, as they were to Moses and Aaron, they must be very litigious; however Moses bore with them, and attended to their causes, to do justice and judgment among them, being now made a prince and a judge over them by divine authority, and whom they acknowledged as such:

and the people stood by Moses, from the morning unto the evening; not that a single cause was so long a trying, but there being so many of them in one day, that they lasted from the morning tonight; so that when one cause was dispatched and the parties dismissed, another succeeded, and so continued all the day long: Moses he sat as judge, with great majesty, gravity, and sedateness, hearkening with all attention to what was said on both sides, and the people they "stood", both plaintiff and defendant, as became them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

From the morning unto the evening - It may be assumed as at least probable that numerous cases of difficulty arose out of the division of the spoil of the Amalekites Exodus 17:13, and causes would have accumulated during the journey from Elim.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 18:13. To judge the people — To hear and determine controversies between man and man, and to give them instruction in things appertaining to God.

From the morning unto the evening. — Moses was obliged to sit all day, and the people were continually coming and going.


 
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