Then Moses told uses a verb that means to count, or to report in detail, so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “recounted.” His father-in-law is used without the name, but it may be more natural just to say “Jethro.” (Contemporary English Version simply uses the pronoun “he.”) All that the LORD had done refers to Yahweh by name, rather than to ʾelohim (God). The response of Jethro in verse 10 shows that the God named Yahweh is singled out from all other gods. To Pharaoh and to the Egyptians means, as Good News Translation renders it, “to the king and the people of Egypt.” For Israel’s sake is literally “on account of Israel.” Contemporary English Version has “to protect Israel,” and Good News Translation says, “in order to rescue the Israelites.”

All the hardships that had come upon them in the way is literally “all the trouble that they happened to meet in the way.” Good News Translation has “the hardships the people had faced on the way,” and New American Bible has “all the hardships they had had to endure on their journey.” And how the LORD had delivered them is literally “and Yahweh rescued them.” Here again the name Yahweh is in focus. Contemporary English Version reorders the clauses and translates “He also told him how the LORD had helped them in all of their troubles.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .