1 When Jethro * h3503, the priest * h3548 of Midian * h4080, Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802, heard * h8085 h8799 of all that God * h430 had done * h6213 h8804 for Moses * h4872, and for Israel * h3478 his people * h5971, and that the LORD * h3068 had brought * h3318 h8689 Israel * h3478 out of Egypt * h4714;
2 Then Jethro * h3503, Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802, took * h3947 h8799 Zipporah * h6855, Moses * h4872' wife * h802, after * h310 he had sent her back * h7964,
3 And her two * h8147 sons * h1121; of which the name * h8034 of the one * h259 was Gershom * h1647; for he said * h559 h8804, I have been an alien * h1616 in a strange * h5237 land * h776: Gershom: that is A stranger there
4 And the name * h8034 of the other * h259 was Eliezer * h461; for the God * h430 of my father * h1, said he, was mine help * h5828, and delivered * h5337 h8686 me from the sword * h2719 of Pharaoh * h6547: Eliezer: that is, My God is an help
5 And Jethro * h3503, Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802, came * h935 h8799 with his sons * h1121 and his wife * h802 unto Moses * h4872 into the wilderness * h4057, where he encamped * h2583 h8802 at the mount * h2022 of God * h430:
6 And he said * h559 h8799 unto Moses * h4872, I thy father in law * h2859 h8802 Jethro * h3503 am come * h935 h8802 unto thee, and thy wife * h802, and her two * h8147 sons * h1121 with her.
7 And Moses * h4872 went out * h3318 h8799 to meet * h7125 h8800 his father in law * h2859 h8802, and did obeisance * h7812 h8691, and kissed * h5401 h8799 him; and they asked * h7592 h8799 each * h376 other * h7453 of their welfare * h7965; and they came * h935 h8799 into the tent * h168. welfare: Heb. peace
8 And Moses * h4872 told * h5608 h8762 his father in law * h2859 h8802 all that the LORD * h3068 had done * h6213 h8804 unto Pharaoh * h6547 and to the Egyptians * h4714 for Israel's * h3478 sake * h182, and all the travail * h8513 that had come * h4672 h8804 upon them by the way * h1870, and how the LORD * h3068 delivered * h5337 h8686 them. come...: Heb. found them
9 And Jethro * h3503 rejoiced * h2302 h8799 for all the goodness * h2896 which the LORD * h3068 had done * h6213 h8804 to Israel * h3478, whom he had delivered * h5337 h8689 out of the hand * h3027 of the Egyptians * h4714.
10 And Jethro * h3503 said * h559 h8799, Blessed * h1288 h8803 be the LORD * h3068, who hath delivered * h5337 h8689 you out of the hand * h3027 of the Egyptians * h4714, and out of the hand * h3027 of Pharaoh * h6547, who hath delivered * h5337 h8689 the people * h5971 from under the hand * h3027 of the Egyptians * h4714.
11 Now I know * h3045 h8804 that the LORD * h3068 is greater * h1419 than all gods * h430: for in the thing * h1697 wherein they dealt proudly * h2102 h8804 he was above them.
12 And Jethro * h3503, Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802, took * h3947 h8799 a burnt offering * h5930 and sacrifices * h2077 for God * h430: and Aaron * h175 came * h935 h8799, and all the elders * h2205 of Israel * h3478, to eat * h398 h8800 bread * h3899 with Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802 before * h6440 God * h430.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow * h4283, that Moses * h4872 sat * h3427 h8799 to judge * h8199 h8800 the people * h5971: and the people * h5971 stood * h5975 h8799 by Moses * h4872 from the morning * h1242 unto the evening * h6153.
14 And when Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802 saw * h7200 h8799 all that he did * h6213 h8802 to the people * h5971, he said * h559 h8799, What is this thing * h1697 that thou doest * h6213 h8802 to the people * h5971? why sittest * h3427 h8802 thou thyself alone, and all the people * h5971 stand * h5324 h8737 by thee from morning * h1242 unto even * h6153?
15 And Moses * h4872 said * h559 h8799 unto his father in law * h2859 h8802, Because the people * h5971 come * h935 h8799 unto me to enquire * h1875 h8800 of God * h430:
16 When they have a matter * h1697, they come * h935 h8802 unto me; and I judge * h8199 h8804 between one * h376 and another * h7453, and I do make them know * h3045 h8689 the statutes * h2706 of God * h430, and his laws * h8451. one...: Heb. a man and his fellow
17 And Moses * h4872' father in law * h2859 h8802 said * h559 h8799 unto him, The thing * h1697 that thou doest * h6213 h8802 is not good * h2896.
18 Thou wilt surely * h5034 h8800 wear away * h5034 h8799, both thou, and this people * h5971 that is with thee: for this thing * h1697 is too heavy * h3515 for thee; thou art not able * h3201 h8799 to perform * h6213 h8800 it thyself alone. Thou wilt...: Heb. Fading thou wilt fade
19 Hearken * h8085 h8798 now unto my voice * h6963, I will give thee counsel * h3289 h8799, and God * h430 shall be * h1961 h8798 with thee: Be thou for the people * h5971 to God-ward * h4136 * h430, that thou mayest bring * h935 h8689 the causes * h1697 unto God * h430:
20 And thou shalt teach * h2094 h8689 * h853 them ordinances * h2706 and laws * h8451, and shalt shew * h3045 h8689 them the way * h1870 wherein they must walk * h3212 h8799, and the work * h4639 that they must do * h6213 h8799.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide * h2372 h8799 out of all the people * h5971 able * h2428 men * h582, such as fear * h3373 God * h430, men * h582 of truth * h571, hating * h8130 h8802 covetousness * h1215; and place * h7760 h8804 such over them, to be rulers * h8269 of thousands * h505, and rulers * h8269 of hundreds * h3967, rulers * h8269 of fifties * h2572, and rulers * h8269 of tens * h6235:
22 And let them judge * h8199 h8804 the people * h5971 at all seasons * h6256: and it shall be, that every great * h1419 matter * h1697 they shall bring * h935 h8686 unto thee, but every small * h6996 matter * h1697 they shall judge * h8199 h8799: so shall it be easier * h7043 h8685 for thyself, and they shall bear * h5375 h8804 the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do * h6213 h8799 this thing * h1697, and God * h430 command * h6680 h8765 thee so , then thou shalt be able * h3201 h8804 to endure * h5975 h8800, and all this people * h5971 shall also go * h935 h8799 to their place * h4725 in peace * h7965.
24 So Moses * h4872 hearkened * h8085 h8799 to the voice * h6963 of his father in law * h2859 h8802, and did * h6213 h8799 all that he had said * h559 h8804.
25 And Moses * h4872 chose * h977 h8799 able * h2428 men * h582 out of all Israel * h3478, and made * h5414 h8799 them heads * h7218 over the people * h5971, rulers * h8269 of thousands * h505, rulers * h8269 of hundreds * h3967, rulers * h8269 of fifties * h2572, and rulers * h8269 of tens * h6235.
26 And they judged * h8199 h8804 the people * h5971 at all seasons * h6256: the hard * h7186 causes * h1697 they brought * h935 h8686 unto Moses * h4872, but every small * h6996 matter * h1697 * h1992 they judged * h8199 h8799 themselves.
27 And Moses * h4872 let his father in law * h2859 h8802 depart * h7971 h8762; and he went * h3212 h8799 his way into his own land * h776.