Exodus 18

1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how 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 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

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

3 and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign 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 The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

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 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain 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 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your 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 Moses 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.

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 Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on 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 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them 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 Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has 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 because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”

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 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with 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 On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to 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 When Moses’ 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?”

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 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to 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 to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I 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 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

And the father-in-law of Moses says to him, “The thing which you are doing [is] not good;

18 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.

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 Listen 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.

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 You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which 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 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.

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 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.

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 you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will 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 listened 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 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 They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to 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 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.