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. Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how 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. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zippo'rah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

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 whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign 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, Elie'zer (for he said, "The God of my father was my 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 to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

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

6. And when one told Moses, "Lo, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you with your 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. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and went 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. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had 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 good which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them 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 has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh.

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

11. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with 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, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with 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. On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till 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. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?"

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

15. And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire 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 dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions."

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

17. Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing 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. You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it 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. Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to 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 you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what 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 choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and 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 times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

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 you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace."

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

24. So Moses gave heed 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. Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and 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 times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

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

27. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.