1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Mosheh' father in law, heard of all that
YAHUAH had done for Mosheh, and for Yisrael his people, [and] that YAHUAH had
brought Yisrael out of Egypt;
2 Then Jethro, Mosheh' father in law, took Zipporah, Mosheh'
wife, after he had sent her back,
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 name of the other [was] Eliezer; for YAHUAH of my father, [said he,
was] mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5 And Jethro, Mosheh' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Mosheh
into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of YAHUAH:
6 And he said unto Mosheh, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy
wife, and her two sons with her.
7 And Mosheh 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 And Mosheh told his father in law all that YAHUAH had done unto Pharaoh and to
the Egyptians for Yisrael's sake, [and] all the travail that had come upon them
by the way, and [how] YAHUAH delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which YAHUAH had done to Yisrael,
whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed [be] YAHUAH, 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 YAHUAH [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein
they dealt proudly [he was] above them.
12 And Jethro, Mosheh' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for
YAHUAH: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Yisrael, to eat bread with Mosheh'
father in law before YAHUAH.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Mosheh sat to judge the people: and
the people stood by Mosheh from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Mosheh' 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 And Mosheh said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to
enquire of YAHUAH:
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 YAHUAH, and his laws.
17 And Mosheh' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest [is] not
good.
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 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and YAHUAH shall be with
thee: Be thou for the people to El-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto
YAHUAH:
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 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear
YAHUAH, 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 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 thou shalt do this thing, and YAHUAH command thee [so], then thou shalt be
able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Mosheh hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he
had said.
25 And Mosheh chose able men out of all Yisrael, and made them heads over the
people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers
of tens.
26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto
Mosheh, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Mosheh let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own
land.