Exodus 18
1 Jethro, who was the priest for the Midian people-group, and who was also Moses’/my father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for the Israeli people. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt.
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people. He heard that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 Moses/I had [previously] sent his/my wife Zipporah [back home when he/I was returning to Egypt]. But now Jethro came to him/me,
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home,
3 bringing Zipporah and their/our two sons. One son was named Gershom, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘foreigner’], because he/I had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another land.”
and her two sons; the name of the one son was Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
4 Her other son was named Eliezer, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘God helps me’], because [he/I] had said “God, whom my father [worshiped], has helped me and saved [me] from being killed [MTY] by the king [of Egypt].”
The name of the other was Eliezer, for Moses had said, “My ancestor's God was my help. He rescued me from Pharaoh's sword.”
5 While Moses/I was camped [with the Israeli people] in the desert [near Sinai], God’s sacred/holy mountain, Jethro came to him/me, bringing along Moses’/my wife and our [two] sons.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.
6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses/me, “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you, bringing along your wife and your two sons!”
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 So Moses/I went out of the campsite to meet his/my father-in-law. He/I bowed before him, and kissed him [on the cheek]. (They both/We) asked each other, “Have you been healthy?” Then they/we went into [Moses’/my] tent.
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked about each other's welfare and then went into the tent.
8 Moses/I told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the [other] people in Egypt for the sake of the Israeli people. He/I also told him about the troubles/problems they/we had experienced on the way, and how Yahweh had helped them/us.
Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, about all the hardships that had come to them along the way, and how Yahweh had rescued them.
9 Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, in that he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
Jethro said, “May Yahweh be praised, for he has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I realize that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued you all from the power [MTY] of the proud Egyptians when [they] were causing you [to suffer].”
Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, because when the Egyptians treated the Israelites arrogantly, God rescued his people.”
12 Then Jethro sacrificed an animal by burning it completely on the altar [as an offering], and he also offered other sacrifices to God. Aaron and the Israeli elders/leaders went with them/us to eat a sacred meal with Jethro.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal before God with Moses' father-in-law.
13 The next day, Moses/I sat down at the place where he/I settled disputes among the people. The people were continually bringing their disputes to Moses/me, from morning until evening.
On the next day Moses sat down to judge the people. The people stood around him from morning until evening.
14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses/I was doing for the people, he said, “(Why are you doing all this for the people?/You should not be doing all this for the people!) [RHQ] Why are you doing this by yourself, and all the people are crowding around you, from morning until evening, [asking you to make decisions for them] [RHQ]?”
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing with the people? Why is it that you sit alone and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me to ask for God's direction.
16 When they have a dispute about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. I also tell them all of God’s laws and instructions.”
When they have a dispute, they come to me. I decide between one person and another, and I teach them God's statutes and laws.”
17 Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not very good.
18 You and these people will (wear yourselves out/become exhausted)! This work is too much for one person. You are not able to do it by yourself.
You will surely wear yourselves out, you and the people who are with you. This burden is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.
19 Now listen to some good advice [MTY] I will give to you. [If you do what I suggest], God will help you. You should continue to speak to God and tell him about the people’s disputes.
Listen to me. I will give you advice, and God will be with you, because you are the people's representative to God, and you bring their disputes to him.
20 You should [also] teach the people what God has commanded and instructed you. You should also explain to them how they should conduct their lives, and the things that they should do.
You must teach them his statutes and laws. You must show them the way to walk and the work to do.
21 But in addition, you should choose some [other men to help you]. Choose men who have reverence for God and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions [for groups of] ten people, [some for groups of] 50 [people], [some for groups of] 100 [people], [and some for groups of] 1,000 [people].
Furthermore, you must choose capable men from all the people, men who honor God, men of truth who hate unjust gain. You must put them over people, to be leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and of tens.
22 Allow them to serve permanently to settle disputes for the people. The difficult matters the people can bring to you; but the matters that are not difficult, they can decide themselves. That will make the work easier for you, as they help you do that work.
They will judge the people in all routine cases, but the difficult cases they will bring to you. As for all the small cases, they can judge those themselves. In that way it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you.
23 If you do that, and [I think that] God is telling you to do it (OR, if God tells you to do it), you will not become exhausted, and all the people will be able to go home feeling satisfied about the decisions, [with their disputes settled quickly”].
If you do this, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure, and the entire people will be able to go home satisfied.”
24 Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
So Moses listened to his father-in-law's words and did everything that he had said.
25 Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
26 They were appointed permanently to make decisions about the people’s disputes. They brought the difficult cases to Moses/me, but they decided the matters that were not difficult by themselves.
They judged the people in normal circumstances. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but they themselves judged all the small cases.
27 Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
Then Moses let his father-in-law leave, and Jethro went back into his own land.
