שמות 18

1 וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּֽי־הוֹצִיא יְהֹוָה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

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 וַיִּקַּח יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֶת־צִפֹּרָה אֵשֶׁת מֹשֶׁה אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֶֽיהָ׃

Jethro [Abundance], Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses [Drawn out]’ wife, after he had sent her away,

3 וְאֵת שְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר שֵׁם הָֽאֶחָד גֵּֽרְשֹׁם כִּי אָמַר גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

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 וְשֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֱלִיעֶזֶר כִּֽי־אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי וַיַּצִּלֵנִי מֵחֶרֶב פַּרְעֹֽה׃

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 וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר־הוּא חֹנֶה שָׁם הַר הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֲנִי חֹתֶנְךָ יִתְרוֹ בָּא אֵלֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּשְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ עִמָּֽהּ׃

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 וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה לִקְרַאת חֹֽתְנוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיִּשַּׁק־לוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ־לְרֵעֵהוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֹֽהֱלָה׃

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 וַיְסַפֵּר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה לְפַרְעֹה וּלְמִצְרַיִם עַל אוֹדֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כׇּל־הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָתַם בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיַּצִּלֵם יְהֹוָֽה׃

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 וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ עַל כׇּל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הִצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרָֽיִם׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶת־הָעָם מִתַּחַת יַד־מִצְרָֽיִם׃

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 עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּֽי־גָדוֹל יְהֹוָה מִכׇּל־הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי בַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר זָדוּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Now I know that Adonai is greater than all deities because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them.”

12 וַיִּקַּח יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עֹלָה וּזְבָחִים לֵֽאלֹהִים וַיָּבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְכֹל ׀ זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֶאֱכׇל־לֶחֶם עִם־חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

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 וַיְהִי מִֽמׇּחֳרָת וַיֵּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת־הָעָם וַיַּעֲמֹד הָעָם עַל־מֹשֶׁה מִן־הַבֹּקֶר עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃

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 וַיַּרְא חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־הוּא עֹשֶׂה לָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר מָֽה־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה לָעָם מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב לְבַדֶּךָ וְכׇל־הָעָם נִצָּב עָלֶיךָ מִן־בֹּקֶר עַד־עָֽרֶב׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ כִּֽי־יָבֹא אֵלַי הָעָם לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִֽים׃

Moses [Drawn out] said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

16 כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם דָּבָר בָּא אֵלַי וְשָׁפַטְתִּי בֵּין אִישׁ וּבֵין רֵעֵהוּ וְהוֹדַעְתִּי אֶת־חֻקֵּי הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶת־תּוֹרֹתָֽיו׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵלָיו לֹא־טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶֽׂה׃

Moses [Drawn out]’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

18 נָבֹל תִּבֹּל גַּם־אַתָּה גַּם־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עִמָּךְ כִּֽי־כָבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר לֹא־תוּכַל עֲשֹׂהוּ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃

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 עַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלִי אִיעָצְךָ וִיהִי אֱלֹהִים עִמָּךְ הֱיֵה אַתָּה לָעָם מוּל הָֽאֱלֹהִים וְהֵבֵאתָ אַתָּה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

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 וְהִזְהַרְתָּה אֶתְהֶם אֶת־הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרֹת וְהוֹדַעְתָּ לָהֶם אֶת־הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָהּ וְאֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֽׂוּן׃

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 וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכׇּל־הָעָם אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹֽת׃

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 וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת־הָעָם בְּכׇל־עֵת וְהָיָה כׇּל־הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְכׇל־הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפְּטוּ־הֵם וְהָקֵל מֵֽעָלֶיךָ וְנָשְׂאוּ אִתָּֽךְ׃

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 אִם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה תַּעֲשֶׂה וְצִוְּךָ אֱלֹהִים וְיָֽכׇלְתָּ עֲמֹד וְגַם כׇּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה עַל־מְקֹמוֹ יָבֹא בְשָׁלֽוֹם׃

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 וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה לְקוֹל חֹתְנוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אָמָֽר׃

So Moses [Drawn out] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

25 וַיִּבְחַר מֹשֶׁה אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מִכׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם רָאשִׁים עַל־הָעָם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹֽת׃

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 וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת־הָעָם בְּכׇל־עֵת אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה יְבִיאוּן אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְכׇל־הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵֽם׃

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses [Drawn out], but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 וַיְשַׁלַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־חֹתְנוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ אֶל־אַרְצֽוֹ׃

Moses [Drawn out] let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.