Exod 18
1
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
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 was Gersam, his father saying, I was a sojourner
in a strange land; —
4
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
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
And it was told Moses, saying, Behold, your father-in-law Jothor is coming to you,
and your wife and two sons with him.
7
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
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
And Jothor was amazed at all the good things which the Lord did to them, seeing that
as he rescued them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao.
10
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 know I that the Lord is great above all gods, because of this, The meaning appears to be, The Lord shewed his superiority
on this occasion, when
the enemy attacked the Israelites wherein they attacked them.
12
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
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
And Jothor having seen all that Moses Gr. does did to the people, says, What is this that you do to the people? wherefore
sit you
alone, and all the people stand by you from morning till evening?
15
And Moses says to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to seek judgement
from God.
16
For whenever there is a dispute among them, and they come to me, I give judgement
upon each, and I teach them the ordinances of God and his law.
17
And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, You do not this thing rightly,
18
you will wear away with intolerable weariness, both those and all this people which
is with you: this thing is hard, you will not be able to endure it yourself alone.
19
Now then hearken to me, and I will advise you, and God shall be with you: be you to
the people in the things pertaining to God, and you shall bring their Gr. words matters to God.
20
And you shall testify to them the ordinances of God and his law, and you shall shew
to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works which they shall do.
21
And do you look out for yourself out of all the people able men, fearing God, righteous
men, hating pride, and you shall set over Gr. them the people captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains
of fifties,
and captains of tens.
22
And they shall judge the people at all times, and the too burdensome matter they shall
bring to you, but they shall judge the smaller cases; so they shall relieve you and
help you.
23
If you will do this thing, God shall strengthen you, and you shall be able to attend,
and all this people shall come with peace into Gr. his own their own place.
24
And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did whatever he said to
him.
25
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 Gr. them the people.
26
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
And Moses dismissed his father-in-law, and he returned to his own land.