Exodus 18:19
New International Version
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.

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.

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,

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.

King James Bible
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:

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 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,

NASB 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,

NASB 1977
“Now listen to me: I shall give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to 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;

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.

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.

Holman 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.

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:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Now hear my voice and I shall counsel you and God will be with you. You are a Teacher to the people from God and you have been bringing their concerns before God:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Contemporary English Version
God will help you if you follow my advice. You should be the one to speak to God for the people,

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:

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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Now listen to me, and I'll give you some advice. May God be with you! You must be the people's representative to God and bring their disagreements to him.

Good News Translation
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.

International Standard Version
Now listen to me. I'll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God.

JPS Tanakh 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.

Literal Standard Version
Now listen to my voice, I counsel you, and God is with you: be for the people before God, and you have brought in the things to God;

Majority 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.

New American Bible
Now, listen to me, and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. Act as the people’s representative before God, and bring their disputes to God.

NET Bible
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;

New Revised Standard Version
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;

New Heart 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.

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.

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;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jethro Advises Moses
18Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. 19Now 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. 20Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.…

Cross References
Numbers 27:5
So Moses brought their case before the LORD,

Exodus 18:20
Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.


Treasury of Scripture

Listen now to my voice, I will give you counsel, and God shall be with you: Be you for the people to God-ward, that you may bring the causes to God:

hearken

Exodus 18:24
So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

Proverbs 9:9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

God shall

Exodus 3:12
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

Exodus 4:12
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

Genesis 39:2
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

be thou

Exodus 18:15
And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:

Exodus 4:16
And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

Exodus 20:19
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

bring

Numbers 27:5
And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.

Jump to Previous
Advice Cases Causes Counsel Disputes Ear God-Ward Hearken Matters Mayest Over-Against People's Represent Representative Suggestion Voice
Jump to Next
Advice Cases Causes Counsel Disputes Ear God-Ward Hearken Matters Mayest Over-Against People's Represent Representative Suggestion Voice
Exodus 18
1. Jethro brings his wife and two sons to Moses
7. Moses entertains him, and relates the goodness of the Lord
9. Jethro rejoices, blesses God, and offers sacrifice
13. He gives good counsel, which is accepted
27. Jethro departs














(19) God shall be with thee.--Rather, may Go be with thee. May He give thee wisdom to direct the course aright.

Be thou for the people to God-ward.--Be the person, i.e., to bring before God whatever needs to be brought before Him. Continue both to act as representative of the people towards God, and as representative of God towards the people. Take all difficult causes to Him, and pronounce to the people His decision upon them. Be also the expounder to the people of God's laws and ordinances; be their moral instructor, and the guide of their individual actions (Exodus 18:20). All this is quite compatible with the change which I am about to recommend to thee.

Verse 19. - I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Rather - "And may God be with thee!" May God incline thine heart to accept my counsel and act upon it. Be thou for the people to God-ward, etc. "Continue," i.e., as at present, to be the intermediary between God and the people - still be the whole and sole source of legislative power (ver. 20), and still be the fount and origin of judicial authority; but commit the actual decision of the lighter causes to others chosen by thyself for the office (vers. 21, 22). The separation of the legislative and judicial functions was well known in Egypt, where the kings alone made new laws (Herod. 2:109, 136, 177, etc.), but causes were ordinarily determined by a body of judges. Bring the causes unto God. In difficult cases, Moses actually laid the cause before God, and obtained directions from God as to the manner in which he was to decide it. See Numbers 27:5-11.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now
עַתָּ֞ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

listen to me;
שְׁמַ֤ע (šə·ma‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

I will give you some advice,
אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ (’î·‘ā·ṣə·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3289: To advise, to deliberate, resolve

and may God
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

be
וִיהִ֥י (wî·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

with you.
עִמָּ֑ךְ (‘im·māḵ)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

You
אַתָּ֣ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

must be
הֱיֵ֧ה (hĕ·yêh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the people’s representative
לָעָ֗ם (lā·‘ām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

before
מ֚וּל (mūl)
Preposition
Strong's 4136: Abrupt, a precipice, the front, opposite

God
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

and bring
וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ (wə·hê·ḇê·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

their causes
הַדְּבָרִ֖ים (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Him.
הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Law: Exodus 18:19 Listen now to my voice (Exo. Ex)
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