Exodus 18
1 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,
Now Jethro [Abundance], the priest of Midian [Strife], Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law, sh'ma ·heard obeyed· of all that God had done for Moses [Drawn out], and for Israel [God prevails] his people, how that Adonai had brought Israel [God prevails] out of Egypt [Abode of slavery].
2 and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, takes Zipporah, wife of Moses, after her parting,
Jethro [Abundance], Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses [Drawn out]’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 and her two sons, of whom the name of one [is] Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a strange land”;
and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses [Drawn out] said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
4 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.”
The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 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;
Jethro [Abundance], Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses [Drawn out] into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.
6 and he says to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.”
He said to Moses [Drawn out], “I, your father-in-law Jethro [Abundance], have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 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;
Moses [Drawn out] went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
8 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.
Moses [Drawn out] told his father-in-law all that Adonai had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery] for Israel [God prevails]’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Adonai delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoices for all the good which YHWH has done to Israel, whom He has delivered from the hand of the Egyptians;
Jethro [Abundance] rejoiced for all the goodness which Adonai had done to Israel [God prevails], in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery].
10 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;
Jethro [Abundance] said, “Blessed be Adonai, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery], and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery].
11 now I have known that YHWH [is] greater than all the gods, for in the thing they have acted proudly—[He is] above them!”
Now I know that Adonai is greater than all deities because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them.”
12 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.
Jethro [Abundance], Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron [Light-bringer] came with all the elders of Israel [God prevails], to eat bread with Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law before God.
13 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;
On the next day, Moses [Drawn out] sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses [Drawn out] from the morning to the evening.
14 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?”
When Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”
15 And Moses says to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God;
Moses [Drawn out] said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 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.”
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his torot ·teachings·.”
17 And the father-in-law of Moses says to him, “The thing which you are doing [is] not good;
Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 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.
You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.
19 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;
Sh'ma ·Hear obey· now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.
20 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.
You shall teach them the statutes and the torot ·teachings·, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 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,
Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22 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.
Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.
23 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.”
If you will do this thing, and God enjoins you to do so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
24 And Moses listens to the voice of his father-in-law, and does all that he said,
So Moses [Drawn out] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 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,
Moses [Drawn out] chose able men out of all Israel [God prevails], and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
26 and they have judged the people at all times; they bring the hard matter to Moses, and they judge every small matter themselves.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses [Drawn out], but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses sends his father-in-law away, and he goes away to his own land.
Moses [Drawn out] let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
