Exodus 18

1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people. He heard that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.

And Jothor the priest of Madiam, the father-in-law of Moses, heard of all that the Lord did to his people Israel; for the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home,

And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, took Sepphora the wife of Moses after she had been sent away,

3 and her two sons; the name of the one son was Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

and her two sons: the name of the one was Gersam, [his father] saying, I was a sojourner in a strange land; —

4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for Moses had said, “My ancestor's God was my help. He rescued me from Pharaoh's sword.”

and the name of the second Eliezer, saying, For the God of my father [is] my helper, and he has rescued me out of the hand of Pharao.

5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.

And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, and his sons and his wife, went forth to Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped on the mount of God.

6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

And it was told Moses, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law Jothor is coming to thee, and thy wife and two sons with him.

7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked about each other's welfare and then went into the tent.

And Moses went forth to meet his father-in-law, and did him reverence, and kissed him, and they embraced each other, and he brought them into the tent.

8 Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, about all the hardships that had come to them along the way, and how Yahweh had rescued them.

And Moses related to his father-in-law all things that the Lord did to Pharao and all the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the labour that had befallen them in the way, and that the Lord had rescued them out of the hand of Pharao, and out of the hand of the Egyptians.

9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, in that he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

And Jothor was amazed at all the good things which the Lord did to them, forasmuch as he rescued them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao.

10 Jethro said, “May Yahweh be praised, for he has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

And Jothor said, Blessed be the Lord, because he has rescued them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao.

11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, because when the Egyptians treated the Israelites arrogantly, God rescued his people.”

Now know I that the Lord is great above all gods, because of this, wherein they attacked them.

12 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal before God with Moses' father-in-law.

And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses took whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices for God, for Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God.

13 On the next day Moses sat down to judge the people. The people stood around him from morning until evening.

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.

14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing with the people? Why is it that you sit alone and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”

And Jothor having seen all that [Moses] did to the people, says, What is this that thou doest to the people? wherefore sittest thou alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning till evening?

15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me to ask for God's direction.

And Moses says to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to seek judgment from God.

16 When they have a dispute, they come to me. I decide between one person and another, and I teach them God's statutes and laws.”

For whenever there is a dispute among them, and they come to me, I give judgment upon each, and I teach them the ordinances of God and his law.

17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not very good.

And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, Thou dost not this thing rightly,

18 You will surely wear yourselves out, you and the people who are with you. This burden is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.

thou wilt wear away with intolerable weariness, both those and all this people which is with thee: this thing is hard, thou wilt not be able to endure it thyself alone.

19 Listen to me. I will give you advice, and God will be with you, because you are the people's representative to God, and you bring their disputes to him.

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.

20 You must teach them his statutes and laws. You must show them the way to walk and the work to do.

And thou shalt testify to them the ordinances of God and his law, and thou shalt shew to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works which they shall do.

21 Furthermore, you must choose capable men from all the people, men who honor God, men of truth who hate unjust gain. You must put them over people, to be leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and of tens.

And do thou look out for thyself out of all the people able men, fearing God, righteous men, hating pride, and thou shalt set over the people captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens.

22 They will judge the people in all routine cases, but the difficult cases they will bring to you. As for all the small cases, they can judge those themselves. In that way it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you.

And they shall judge the people at all times, and the too burdensome matter they shall bring to thee, but they shall judge the smaller cases; so they shall relieve thee and help thee.

23 If you do this, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure, and the entire people will be able to go home satisfied.”

If thou wilt do this thing, God shall strengthen thee, and thou shalt be able to attend, and all this people shall come with peace into their own place.

24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law's words and did everything that he had said.

And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did whatsoever he said to him.

25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

And Moses chose out able men out of all Israel, and he made them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties and captains of tens over the people.

26 They judged the people in normal circumstances. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but they themselves judged all the small cases.

And they judged the people at all times; and every too burdensome matter they brought to Moses, but every light matter they judged themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law leave, and Jethro went back into his own land.

And Moses dismissed his father-in-law, and he returned to his own land.