“1 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; 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father
in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 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: 4 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: 5 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: 6 And he said unto Moses, I thy
father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons
with her.”
“7 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. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11
Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing
wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them. 12 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.”
“13 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.
14 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? 15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come
unto me to enquire of God: 16 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. 17 And Moses’ father in law said unto
him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good. 18 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.
19 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: 20 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. 21 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: 22 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. 23 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. 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did
all that he had said. 25 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. 26 And they judged the
people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but
every small matter they judged themselves. 27 And Moses let his father
in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.” (Ex 18:1-27 AV)
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