Exodus 4:18

Good News Translation

Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go back to my relatives in Egypt to see if they are still alive." Jethro agreed and told him good-bye.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe went and returned to Yitro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Mitzrayim, and see whether they are still alive." Yitro said to Moshe, "Go in shalom."

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And Moses went, and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and he said to him, "Please let me go, and let me return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and let me see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

New Century Version
Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, "Let me go back to my people in Egypt. I want to see if they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go! I wish you well."

New English Translation
So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go, so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Amplified Bible
Then Moses went away and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please, let me go back so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

New American Standard Bible
Then Moses departed and returned to his father-in-law Jethro, and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore Moses went and returned to Iethro his father in lawe, & said vnto him, I pray thee, let me goe, and returne to my brethren, which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet aliue. Then Iethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Contemporary English Version
Moses went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked, "Please let me return to Egypt to see if any of my people are still alive." "All right," Jethro replied. "I hope all goes well."

Complete Jewish Bible
(vi) Moshe left, returned to Yitro his father-in-law and said to him, "I beg you to let me go and return to my kinsmen in Egypt, to see if they are still alive." Yitro said to Moshe, "Go in peace."

Darby Translation
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, that I may see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law. Moses said to him, "Please let me go back to Egypt. I want to see if my people are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

English Standard Version
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

George Lamsa Translation
And Moses returned, and went to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt and see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.”

Literal Translation
And Moses went and returned to his father-in-law Jethro, and said to him, Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Moses wete, and came agayne vnto Iethro his father in lawe, and sayde vnto him: Let me go (I praye the) that I maye turne agayne vnto my brethre, which are in Egipte, and se whether they be yet alyue. Iethro sayde vnto him: Go thy waye in peace.

American Standard Version
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 that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Bible in Basic English
And Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go back now to my relations in Egypt and see if they are still living. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore Moyses went and returned to Iethro his father in law againe, and said vnto him: Let me go I pray thee nowe, and turne agayne vnto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet aliue. And Iethro said to Moyses: go in peace.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive.' And Jethro said to Moses: 'Go in peace.'

King James Version (1611)
And Moses went and returned to Iethro his father in law, and said vnto him, Let me goe, I pray thee, and returne vnto my brethren, which are in Egypt, and see whether they bee yet aliue. And Iethro said to Moses, Goe in peace.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses went and returned to Jothor his father-in-law, and says, I will go and return to my brethren in Egypt, and will see if they are yet living. And Jothor said to Moses, Go in health. And in those days after some time, the king of Egypt died.

English Revised Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt and see if they are still alive." "Go in peace," Jethro replied.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Moises yede, and turnede ayen to Jetro, his wyues fadir, and seide to hym, Y schal go, and turne ayen to my britheren in to Egipt, that Y se, whether thei lyuen yit. To whom Jetro seide, Go thou in pees.

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses goeth and turneth back unto Jethro his father-in-law, and saith to him, `Let me go, I pray thee, and I turn back unto my brethren who [are] in Egypt, and I see whether they are yet alive.' And Jethro saith to Moses, `Go in peace.'

Update Bible Version
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray you, and return to my brothers that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren who [are] in Egypt, and see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

World English Bible
Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

New King James Version
So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

New Living Translation
So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. "Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt," Moses said. "I don't even know if they are still alive." "Go in peace," Jethro replied.

New Life Bible
Then Moses left and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "I ask of you, let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

New Revised Standard
Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Please let me go back to my kindred in Egypt and see whether they are still living." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Moses went and returned unto Jethro his father-in-law and said to him - Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren who are in Egypt, that I my see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses: Go and prosper.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Moses went his way, and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said to him; I will go and return to my brethren into Egypt, that I may see if they be yet alive. And Jethro said to him: Go in peace.

Revised Standard Version
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back, I pray, to my kinsmen in Egypt and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

THE MESSAGE
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said, "I need to return to my relatives who are in Egypt. I want to see if they're still alive." Jethro said, "Go. And peace be with you."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go back to my relatives in Egypt to see if they are still alive." Jethro agreed and told him good-bye. ¹⁹ While Moses was still in Midian, the Lord said to him, "Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead." ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and set out with them for Egypt, carrying the walking stick that God had told him to take. ²¹ Again the Lord said to Moses, "Now that you are going back to Egypt, be sure to perform before the king all the miracles which I have given you the power to do. But I will make the king stubborn, and he will not let the people go. ²² Then you must tell him that I, the Lord , say, ‘Israel is my first-born son. ²³ I told you to let my son go, so that he might worship me, but you refused. Now I am going to kill your first-born son.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Jethro: Heb. Jether, Exodus 3:1

Let me go: 1 Timothy 6:1

and see: Genesis 45:3, Acts 15:36

Go in peace: 1 Samuel 1:17, Luke 7:50, Acts 16:36, In the LXX and Coptic, the following addition is made to this verse: ופב הו פבע חלוסבע פבע נןככבע וךויםבע ופוכוץפחףום ן גבףיכוץע ידץנפןץ, "After these many days, the king of Egypt died." This was probably an ancient side-note, which crept into the text, as it appeared to throw light on the next verse.

Reciprocal: Exodus 2:18 - General Exodus 18:1 - Jethro Judges 1:16 - Moses' 1 Samuel 10:16 - matter 2 Kings 5:19 - Go in peace Luke 8:48 - go Acts 7:23 - to Acts 15:33 - they were

Cross-References

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch was 65, he had a son, Methuselah.

Genesis 36:2
Esau married Canaanite women: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah son of Zibeon the Hivite;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law,.... With his flock of sheep he kept, Exodus 3:1: and said unto him,

let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren which are in Egypt; the Israelites, who were so by nation and religion; as Jethro had been kind and beneficent to him, he did not choose to leave him without his knowledge and consent, and especially to take away his wife and children without it:

and see whether they be yet alive; it seems by this that Moses had heard nothing of them during the forty years he lived in Midian, which may be thought strange, since it was not very far from Egypt; and besides the Midianites traded in Egypt, as we learn from Genesis 37:28 but this must be ascribed to the providence of God, that so ordered it, that there should be no intercourse between him and his brethren, that so no step might be taken by them for their deliverance until the set time was come. Moses did not acquaint his father-in-law with the principal reason of his request, nor of his chief end in going into Egypt, which it might not be proper to acquaint him with, he being of another nation, though a good man; and lest he should use any arguments to dissuade Moses from going, who now having got clear of his diffidence and distrust, was determined upon it: though some ascribe this to his modesty in not telling Jethro of the glorious and wonderful appearance of God to him, and of the honour he had conferred on him to be the deliverer and governor of the people of Israel:

and Jethro said to Moses, go in peace; he judged his request reasonable, and gave his full consent to it, and wished him health and prosperity in his journey.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 4:18. Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren — Moses, having received his commission from God, and directions how to execute it, returned to his father-in-law, and asked permission to visit his family and brethren in Egypt, without giving him any intimation of the great errand on which he was going. His keeping this secret has been attributed to his singular modesty: but however true it might be that Moses was a truly humble and modest man, yet his prudence alone was sufficient to have induced him to observe silence on this subject; for, if once imparted to the family of his father-in-law, the news might have reached Egypt before he could get thither, and a general alarm among the Egyptians would in all probability have been the consequence; as fame would not fail to represent Moses as coming to stir up sedition and rebellion, and the whole nation would have been armed against them. It was therefore essentially necessary that the business should be kept secret.

In the Septuagint and Coptic the following addition is made to this verse: Μετα δε τας ἡμερας τας πολλας εκινας ετελευτησεν ὁ βασιλευς Αιγυπτου· After these many days, the king of Egypt died. This was probably an ancient gloss or side note, which in process of time crept into the text, as it appeared to throw light on the following verse.