Exodus, 18

1. Jethro, priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, had heard all about what God had done for Moses and for Israel his people: how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.

1. When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, [and] that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, then took back Zipporah, Moses' wife, whom Moses had sent home,

2. Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

3. with her two sons; one of them was called Gershom because, he had said, 'I am an alien in a foreign land,'

3. And her two sons; of which the name of the one [was] Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4. and the other called Eliezer because 'My father's God is my help and has delivered me from Pharaoh's sword.'

4. And the name of the other [was] Eliezer; for the God of my father, [said he, was] mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

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

5. And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

6. 'Here is your father-in-law Jethro approaching', Moses was told, 'with your wife and her two sons.'

6. And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7. So Moses went out to greet his father-in-law, bowed low to him and kissed him; and when each had asked how the other was they went into the tent.

7. And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of [their] welfare; and they came into the tent.

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

8. And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, [and] all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and [how] the LORD delivered them.

9. And Jethro was delighted at all Yahweh's goodness to Israel in having rescued them from the clutches of the Egyptians.

9. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10. 'Blessed be Yahweh', Jethro exclaimed, 'for having rescued you from the clutches of the Egyptians and the clutches of Pharaoh, for having rescued the people from the grasp of the Egyptians!

10. And Jethro said, Blessed [be] the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11. Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all other gods. . .'

11. Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them.

12. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, then offered a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God; and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came and ate with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

12. And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.

13. On the following day, Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people, and the people were standing round him from morning till evening.

13. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14. Seeing all he did for the people, Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'Why do you do this for the people, why sit here alone with the people standing round you from morning till evening?'

14. And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What [is] this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

15. Moses replied to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to consult God.

15. And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16. When they have a problem they come to me, and I give a ruling between the one and the other and make God's statutes and laws known to them.'

16. When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make [them] know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17. Moses' father-in-law then said to him, 'What you are doing is not right.

17. And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good.

18. You will only tire yourself out, and the people with you too, for the work is too heavy for you. You cannot do it all yourself.

18. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that [is] with thee: for this thing [is] too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19. Now listen to the advice I am going to give you, and God be with you! Your task is to represent the people to God, to lay their cases before God,

19. 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:

20. and to teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way they ought to follow and how they ought to behave.

20. And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21. At the same time, from the people at large choose capable and God-fearing men, men who are trustworthy and incorruptible, and put them in charge of them as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens,

21. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22. and make them the people's permanent judges. They will refer all important matters to you, but all minor matters they will decide themselves, so making things easier for you by sharing the burden with you.

22. And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, [that] every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear [the burden] with thee.

23. If you do this -- and may God so command you -- you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.'

23. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee [so], then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

24. Moses took his father-in-law's advice and did just as he said.

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

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

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

26. These acted as the people's permanent judges. They referred hard cases to Moses but decided minor matters themselves.

26. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27. Moses then set his father-in-law on his way, and he travelled back to his own country.

27. And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.