Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-Law, Suggests He Appoint Judges to Share the Load |
Exodus 18:1-27 The Second Book of Moses Called Exodus |
When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses & for Israel, His people & that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Jethro [took care of] Moses’ wife, Zipporah & his 2 sons, [when Moses] sent her back. One of her 2 sons was Gershom [which means: I have been an alien in a strange land.] |
The name of the other was Eliezer [which means:] The God of my father, said He, was [my] help & delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons & wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he [camped] at the mount of God. |
He said to Moses, I, your father-in-law, have come to you, [with] your wife & 2 sons. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law & [bowed] & kissed him & they asked [about each other’s well-being] & they went into the tent. |
Moses told [Jethro] all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh & the Egyptians, for Israel’s sake & how the Lord had delivered them from all the [hardships] on the way. Jethro rejoiced & blessed the Lord for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel & delivered [them] out of the hand of the Egyptians. |
Jethro said, Blessed [is] the Lord, Who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians & out of the hand of Pharaoh, Who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. |
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, [because God] [rescued Israel from their proud enemies] & He was [over] them. Jethro took a burnt offering & sacrifices for God. And Aaron & the elders of Israel came to eat bread with [Jethro] before God. |
[The next day,] Moses sat to judge the people [of Israel] [who] stood from morning until evening. Moses’ father-in-law saw all of this & said, What is [this that you do] to the people? Why [do you sit] alone & all the people stand by you from morning to evening? |
Moses said to [Jethro,] The people come to me to [inquire] of God & when they have a matter, they come to me & I judge between 1 & another & make them know the statutes of God & His laws. [Jethro] said to [Moses,] The thing you [do isn’t] good. |
You will surely [get worn out] & the people with you, for this is [too heavy a burden] for you & you aren’t able to perform [this] by [yourself] alone. [Listen] & I will give you [my advice] & God [shall be with you, so] you may bring the causes to God: |
You shall teach them the ordinances & laws & shall show them the way they must [follow] & the work they must do. You shall [also select] able men of truth, [who] hate [envy] & [who] fear [respect] God & place them [as leaders] over the [Israelites] rulers of: 1,000’s, 100’s, 50’s & 10’s. |
Let them judge the smaller matters of the people at all [times & only] bring to you every [large] matter, but every small matter they shall judge. So, it shall be easier for you & [the appointed judges] will help bear the burden with you. If you shall do this thing & God commands you [to do] so, you shall be able to endure & all [these] people shall go to their place in peace. |
So, Moses [listened] to his father-in-law’s voice & did all that he said. Moses chose able men out of all of Israel & made them [leaders] over the people, rulers of: 1,000’s, 100’s, 50’s, & 10’s. |
And they judged the people [through all seasons] & brought the hard [matters] to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. And Moses let his father-in-law depart & he went [on] his way to his own land. |