Exodus 18 Now when Jothor the priest of Madiam, Moses' father in law heard of all that the Lord had done for his people Israel, [for while the Lord was bringing Israel out of Egypt

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Now when Jothor the priest of Madiam, Moses' father in law heard of all that the Lord had done for his people Israel, [for while the Lord was bringing Israel out of Egypt ² Jothor the father in law of Moses had taken home Sepphora, Moses' wife, after she had gone back, ³ with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gersam; for he said, I was a stranger in a strange land; ⁴ and the name of the other Eliezar; for the God of my fathers, said he, hath been my help, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao] ⁵ Jothor the father in law of Moses came out to him with his sons and his wife to the wilderness where he was encamped by the mount of God. ⁶ And when they told Moses saying, Behold Jothor thy father in law is coming to thee with thy wife and thy two sons with him, ⁷ Moses went out to meet his father in law and made obeisance to him and kissed him. And when they had embraced each other he conducted them to his tent. ⁸ And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharao and to all the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the difficulties which they had encountered on the way, and how the Lord had rescued them out of the hand of Pharao and out of the hand of the Egyptians. ⁹ Whereupon Jothor was enrapt in wonder at all the good things which the Lord had done for them in delivering them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharao; ¹⁰ and Jothor said, Blessed be the Lord. Because he hath delivered these out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao, ¹¹ I know now that the Lord is great above all the gods, for this reason because they were set against these. ¹² Then Jothor the father in law of Moses took whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for God; and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread before God with Moses' father in law. ¹³ And on the morrow Moses sat to administer justice to the people, and all the people attended on Moses from early in the morning till late in the evening. ¹⁴ And when Jothor saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this that thou dost for the people? Why hast thou sitten alone and all the people attended thee from morning till night? ¹⁵ And Moses said to his father in law, Because the people come to me to have a determination from God. ¹⁶ For when a controversy happeneth among them and they come to me, I administer justice to every one, and teach them the statutes of God and his law. ¹⁷ Thereupon Moses' father in law said to him, Thou dost not transact this business right. ¹⁸ Both thou and this people with thee must needs be worn down by this intolerable service. This business is too fatiguing for thee. Thou canst not perform it thyself alone. ¹⁹ Now therefore hearken to me and I will advise thee; and God be with thee. Be thou to the people as the Oracle of God; and lay their cases before God; ²⁰ and testify to them the statutes of God and his law; and point out to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works which they shall do: ²¹ but look out for thyself from among all the people, for able, pious men, men of integrity who hate pride; and set these over them as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; ²² and let them administer justice to the people on all occasions: and the matter which is too high for them, they shall lay before thee; but causes easily determined they themselves shall decide. Thus they will remove a burden from thee and help thee. ²³ If thou do this God will strengthen thee so that thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall go to their place with peace. ²⁴ So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he said. ²⁵ And when Moses had chosen able men from among all Israel and made them rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, ²⁶ with orders to administer justice to the people on all occasions, and that they should lay before him the matter which was too high for them; but the causes easily determined they themselves should decide; ²⁷ then Moses gave his father in law leave to depart and he returned to his own land.