Exodus 18
EX 18:1 And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heareth all that
God hath done for Moses, and for Israel his people, that Jehovah hath brought
out Israel from Egypt,
EX 18:2 and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh Zipporah, wife of Moses,
besides her parents,
EX 18:3 and her two sons, of whom the name of the one `is' Gershom, for he said,
`a sojourner I have been in a strange land:'
EX 18:4 and the name of the other `is' Eliezer, for, `the God of my father `is'
for my help, and doth deliver me from the sword of Pharaoh.'
EX 18:5 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, cometh, and his sons, and his wife,
unto Moses, unto the wilderness where he is encamping -- the mount of God;
EX 18:6 and he saith unto Moses, `I, thy father-in-law, Jethro, am coming unto
thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.'
EX 18:7 And Moses goeth out to meet his father-in-law, and boweth himself, and
kisseth him, and they ask one at another of welfare, and come into the tent;
EX 18:8 and Moses recounteth to his father-in-law all that Jehovah hath done to
Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account of Israel, all the travail which hath
found them in the way, and Jehovah doth deliver them.
EX 18:9 And Jethro rejoiceth for all the good which Jehovah hath done to Israel,
whom He hath delivered from the hand of the Egyptians;
EX 18:10 and Jethro saith, `Blessed `is' Jehovah, who hath delivered you from
the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh -- who hath delivered
this people from under the hand of the Egyptians;
EX 18:11 now I have known that Jehovah `is' greater than all the gods, for in
the thing they have acted proudly -- `He is' above them!'
EX 18:12 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh a burnt-offering and
sacrifices for God; and Aaron cometh in, and all the elders of Israel, to eat
bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.
EX 18:13 And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that Moses sitteth to judge the
people, and the people stand before Moses, from the morning unto the evening;
EX 18:14 and the father-in-law of Moses seeth all that he is doing to the
people, and saith, `What `is' this thing which thou art doing to the people?
wherefore art thou sitting by thyself, and all the people standing by thee from
morning till evening?'
EX 18:15 And Moses saith to his father-in-law, `Because the people come unto me
to seek God;
EX 18:16 when they have a matter, it hath come unto me, and I have judged
between a man and his neighbour, and made known the statutes of God, and His
laws.'
EX 18:17 And the father-in-law of Moses saith unto him, `The thing which thou
art doing `is' not good;
EX 18:18 thou dost surely wear away, both thou, and this people which `is' with
thee, for the thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to do it by
thyself.
EX 18:19 `Now, hearken to my voice, I counsel thee, and God is with thee: be
thou for the people over-against God, and thou hast brought in the things unto
God;
EX 18:20 and thou hast warned them `concerning' the statutes and the laws, and
hast made known to them the way in which they go, and the work which they do.
EX 18:21 `And thou -- thou dost provide out of all the people men of ability,
fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and hast placed `these' over
them, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of
tens,
EX 18:22 and they have judged the people at all times; and it hath come to pass,
every great matter they bring in unto thee, and every small matter they judge
themselves; and lighten it from off thyself, and they have borne with thee.
EX 18:23 If thou dost this thing, and God hath commanded thee, then thou hast
been able to stand, and all this people also goeth in unto its place in peace.'
EX 18:24 And Moses hearkeneth to the voice of his father-in-law, and doth all
that he said,
EX 18:25 and Moses chooseth men of ability out of all Israel, and maketh them
chiefs over the people, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties,
and heads of tens,
EX 18:26 and they have judged the people at all times; the hard matter they
bring in unto Moses, and every small matter they judge themselves.
EX 18:27 And Moses sendeth his father-in-law away, and he goeth away unto his
own land.
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