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
;
Then Jethro, Moses
' father in law
, took
Zipporah
, Moses
' wife
, after
he had sent her back
,
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 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 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 he said unto Moses
, I thy father in law
Jethro
am come
unto thee, and thy wife
, and her two
sons
with her.
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 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 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 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
.
Now I know that the LORD
is greater
than all gods
: for in the thing
wherein they dealt proudly
he was above them.
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 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 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 Moses said
unto his father in law
, Because the people
come
unto me to enquire
of God
:
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
.
And Moses' father in law
said
unto him, The thing
that thou doest
is not good
.
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.
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
:
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
.
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 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.
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
.
So Moses hearkened
to the voice
of his father in law
, and did
all that he had said
.
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 they judged the people
at all seasons
: the hard
causes
they brought
unto Moses
, but every small
matter
they judged
themselves.
And Moses let his father in law
depart
; and he went
his way into his own land
.