Exodus 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;

And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, hears all that God has done for Moses and for His people Israel, that YHWH has brought out Israel from Egypt,

2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, takes Zipporah, wife of Moses, after her parting,

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:

and her two sons, of whom the name of one [is] Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a strange land”;

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:

and the name of the other [is] Eliezer, for, “The God of my father [is] for my help, and He delivers me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

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:

And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, comes, and his sons, and his wife, to Moses, to the wilderness where he is encamping—the mountain of God;

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.

and he says to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.”

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.

And Moses goes out to meet his father-in-law, and bows himself, and kisses him, and they ask of one another of welfare, and come into the tent;

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.

and Moses recounts to his father-in-law all that YHWH has done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account of Israel, all the travail which has found them in the way, and [how] YHWH delivers them.

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.

And Jethro rejoices for all the good which YHWH has done to Israel, whom He has delivered from the hand of the Egyptians;

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.

and Jethro says, “Blessed [is] YHWH, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh—who has delivered this people from under the hand of the Egyptians;

11 Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them.

now I have known that YHWH [is] greater than all the gods, for in the thing they have acted proudly—[He is] above them!”

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.

And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, takes a burnt-offering and sacrifices [it] for God; and Aaron comes in, and all [the] elderly of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.

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.

And it comes to pass on the next day, that Moses sits to judge the people, and the people stand before Moses from the morning to the evening;

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?

and the father-in-law of Moses sees all that he is doing for the people and says, “What [is] this thing which you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people standing by you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

And Moses says to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God;

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.

when they have a matter, it has come to me, and I have judged between a man and his neighbor, and made known the statutes of God, and His laws.”

17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good.

And the father-in-law of Moses says to him, “The thing which you are doing [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.

you surely wear away, both you, and this people which [is] with you, for the thing is too heavy for you, you are not able to do it by yourself.

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:

Now listen to my voice, I counsel you, and God is with you: be for the people before God, and you have brought in the things to God;

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.

and you have warned them [concerning] the statutes and the laws, and have made known to them the way in which they go, and the work which they do.

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:

And you provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and have placed [these] over them [for] heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads 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.

and they have judged the people at all times; and it has come to pass, they bring every great matter to you, and they judge every small matter themselves; and lighten it from off yourself, and they have borne with you.

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.

If you do this thing, and God has commanded you, then you have been able to stand, and all this people also goes to its place in peace.”

24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

And Moses listens to the voice of his father-in-law, and does all that he said,

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.

and Moses chooses men of ability out of all Israel, and makes them chiefs over the people [for] heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,

26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

and they have judged the people at all times; they bring the hard matter to Moses, and they judge every small matter themselves.

27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

And Moses sends his father-in-law away, and he goes away to his own land.