‏ Exodus 18

CHAPTER 18

Jethro Reunites with Moses

1[⁹heard ¹And ²Jethro ³the ⁴priest ⁵of Midian ⁶the ⁷father-in-law ⁸of Moses] all as much as the lord did to Israel, to his own people; [³led ¹for ²the lord]   Israel out of Egypt. 2[⁶took ¹And ²Jethro ³the ⁴father-in-law ⁵of Moses] Zipporah the wife of Moses after   her release, 3and the two sons of his -- the name to the one was Gershom, saying, I was a sojourner in [²land ¹an alien]. 4And the name of the second was Eliezer, saying, For the God   of my father is my helper, and he rescued me from out of the hand of Pharaoh. 5And came forth Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, and the sons, and the wife, to Moses, into the wilderness of which place  he camped at the mountain   of God. 6And it was announced to Moses, saying, Behold,   your father-in-law Jethro comes to you, and   your wife, and   [²two ³sons ¹your] with him. 7[³came forth ¹And ²Moses] to meet with   his father-in-law; and he did obeisance to him, and he kissed him, and they greeted one another, and he brought them into the tent. 8And Moses described to  his father-in-law all as much as the lord did   to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account   of Israel; and all the trouble, the one coming to them in the way; and that [²rescued ³them ¹the lord] from out of the hand of Pharaoh, and from out of the hand of the Egyptians. 9[³was amazed ¹And ²Jethro] by all the good things  which [²did ³to them ¹the lord]; that [²rescued ³them ¹the lord] from out of the hand of the Egyptians, and from out of the hand of Pharaoh. 10And Jethro said, Blessed be the lord, for he rescued   his people from out of the hand of the Egyptians, and from out of the hand of Pharaoh. 11Now I know that the lord is great above all the gods, because of of this -- that they made an attempt against them. 12And [⁵took ¹Jethro ²the ³father-in-law ⁴of Moses] whole burnt-offerings, and sacrifices   to God. [⁸came ¹For ²Aaron ³and ⁴all ⁵the ⁶elders ⁷of Israel] to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before   God.

Jethro Advises Moses

13And it came to pass after the next day, Moses sat down to judge the people, [⁵stood by ¹and ²all ³the ⁴people] Moses from morning until evening. 14And Jethro seeing all as much as he did to the people, says, What is this which you do to the people? Why do you sit down alone, and all the people stand by you from morning until afternoon? 15And Moses says to  his father-in-law, Because [³come ⁴to ⁵me ¹the ²people] to seek after a judgment from   God. 16For whenever there is to them a dispute, and they should come to me, I litigate each, and I instruct them in the orders   of God, and   his law. 17[⁴said ¹And ²the ³father-in-law] to  Moses to him, Not rightly do you do   this thing. 18[⁵corruption ³will be corrupted ⁴in unsufferable ¹And ²you], and all   this people, which is with you. [²is heavy ³on you   ¹This thing], you will not be able to act yourself alone. 19Now then hear me! and I shall advise you, and God will be with you. You become to the people, the one  before   God! and you shall offer   their words to   God. 20And you shall testify to them the orders   of God, and   his law, and you shall signify to them the ways in which they shall go by them, and the works which they shall do. 21And you yourself look about all the people for men mighty and godly! [²men ¹just] detesting pride. And you shall place them over them commanders of thousands, and commanders of hundreds, and commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. 22And they shall judge the people at every hour. But the [²thing   ¹enormous] they shall offer unto you; but the little matters  of the judgments, they shall judge them; and they shall lighten the load  from you, and shall give aid to you. 23If   this thing you do, then [²will strengthen ³you   ¹God], and you will be able to stand, and all   this people shall come unto   their own place with peace. 24[³hearkened ¹And ²Moses] to the voice   of his father-in-law, and he did as much as he said to him. 25And Moses chose [²men ¹mighty] from all Israel, and appointed them over them as commanders of thousands, and commanders of hundreds, and commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens, and judicial recorders. 26And they judged the people every hour, but the [²matter   ¹enormous] they offered to Moses. But every [²matter ¹light] they judged themselves. 27[³sent out ¹And ²Moses]   his own father-in-law, and he went forth unto   his land.