Exodus 18

¹ Jethro, the priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard of all that Elohim had done for Moses and for Israel, His people, when Yahweh had brought Israel forth from Egypt. ² Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, to him after her dismissal, ³ and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom, (for he said: A sojourner became I in a foreign land). ⁴ And the name of the other one was Eliezer: (for the Elohim of my father is my Helper, and He rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh). ⁵ Now Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, and his sons, and his wife, came to Moses, to the wilderness where he was encamping at the Mount of the One, Elohim. ⁶ And he sent word to Moses: I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons with her. ⁷ Then Moses went forth to meet his father-in-law; and he bowed himself down and kissed him. After they had asked, each man of his associate, concerning his welfare, then they came to the tent, ⁸ and Moses related to his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt concerning Israel, all the suspense which found them along the way and how Yahweh had rescued them. ⁹ So Jethro exhilarated over all the good which Yahweh had done to Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of Egypt. ¹⁰ Hence Jethro said: "Blessed be Yahweh Who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, Who has rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt. ¹¹ Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the elohim, yea in the matter in which they were arrogant against them." ¹² Then Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took an ascent offering along with sacrifices for Elohim, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before the One, Elohim. ¹³ It came to be on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people. So the people stood by Moses from the morning until evening. ¹⁴ When the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, he said: "What is this matter that you are doing for the people? For what reason are you sitting by yourself alone with all the people stationing themselves by you from morning until evening?" ¹⁵ Moses said to his father-in-law: "Because the people are coming to me to inquire of Elohim. ¹⁶ When they come to have a matter of dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his associate, and I make known to them the statutes of the One, Elohim, and His laws." ¹⁷ The father-in-law of Moses said to him: "The thing which you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You are wearing out, yea wearing out both yourself and this people who are with you, for this matter is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself alone. ¹⁹ Now, hearken to my voice. Let me counsel you, and may Elohim come to be with you. Be you for the people toward the One, Elohim, and you bring the matters to the One, Elohim. ²⁰ You will warn them with the statutes and the laws and make known to them the way in which they shall go and the deeds which they shall do. ²¹ Now you shall perceive among all the people men of ability, fearful of Elohim, men of truth, hating gain. You will place these over them as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties and chiefs of tens. ²² And they will judge the people in every season. Yet it will be that every great matter of dispute they shall bring to you, and every small matter shall they judge themselves. Lighten yourself from what is on you, and they will bear it with you. ²³ If you shall do this thing then Elohim will instruct you further, so you can stand. Moreover, all this people, it shall come upon its place in peace. ²⁴ So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵ Moses chose men of ability from all Israel and set them as heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties and chiefs of tens. ²⁶ They judged the people in every season. The hard matter were they bringing to Moses, and every small matter they were judging themselves. ²⁷ Then Moses dismissed his father-in-law; so he went by himself to his land.