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.
18:2 And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, took Sepphora the wife of Moses
after she had been sent away,
18:3 and her two sons: the name of the one was Gersam, [his father] saying,
I was a sojourner in a strange land;--
18:4 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.
18:5 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.
18:6 And it was told Moses, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law Jothor is
coming to thee, and thy wife and two sons with him.
18:7 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.
18:8 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.
18:9 And Jothor was amazed at all the good things which the Lord did to
them, forasmuch as he rescued them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out
of the hand of Pharao.
18:10 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.
18:11 Now know I that the Lord is great above all gods, because of this,
wherein they attacked them.
18:12 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.
18:13 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.
18:14 And Jothor having seen all that [Moses] did to the people, says, What
is this that thou doest to the people? wherefore sittest thou alone, and all
the people stand by thee from morning till evening?
18:15 And Moses says to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to
seek judgment from God.
18:16 For whenever there is a dispute among them, and they come to me, I
give judgment upon each, and I teach them the ordinances of God and his law.
18:17 And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, Thou dost not this thing
rightly,
18:18 thou wilt wear away with intolerable weariness, both those and all
this people which is with thee: this thing is hard, thou wilt not be able to
endure it thyself alone.
18:19 Now then hearken to me, and I will advise thee, and God shall be with
thee: be thou to the people in the things pertaining to God, and thou shalt
bring their matters to God.
18:20 And thou shalt testify to them the ordinances of God and his law, and
thou shalt shew to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works
which they shall do.
18:21 And do thou look out for thyself out of all the people able men,
fearing God, righteous men, hating pride, and thou shalt set over the people
captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and
captains of tens.
18:22 And they shall judge the people at all times, and the too burdensome
matter they shall bring to thee, but they shall judge the smaller cases; so
they shall relieve thee and help thee.
18:23 If thou wilt do this thing, God shall strengthen thee, and thou shalt
be able to attend, and all this people shall come with peace into their own
place.
18:24 And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did
whatsoever he said to him.
18:25 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 the people.
18:26 And they judged the people at all times; and every too burdensome
matter they brought to Moses, but every light matter they judged themselves.
18:27 And Moses dismissed his father-in-law, and he returned to his own
land. |
18:1 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;
18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he
had sent her back,
18:3 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:
18:4 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:
18:5 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:
18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee,
and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
18:7 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.
18:8 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.
18:9 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.
18:10 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.
18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing
wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
18:12 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.
18:13 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.
18:14 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?
18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me
to inquire of God:
18:16 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.
18:17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is
not good.
18:18 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.
18:19 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:
18:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the
way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
18:21 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:
18:22 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.
18:23 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.
18:24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that
he had said.
18:25 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.
18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they
brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
18:27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his
own land. |