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Exodus 18
And when Jethro the priest of Madian, the kinsman of
Moses, had heard all the things that God had done to
Moses, and to Israel his people, and that the Lord had
brought forth Israel out of Egypt,
He took Sephora the wife of Moses whom he had sent back:
And her two sons, of whom one was called Gersam, his
father saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country.
And the other Eliezer: For the God of my father, said
he, is my helper, and hath delivered me from the sword
of Pharao.
And Jethro the kinsman of Moses came with his sons and
his wife, to Moses into the desert, where he was camped
by the mountain of God.
And he sent word to Moses, saying: I Jethro thy kinsman
come to thee, and thy wife, and thy two sons with her.
And he went out to meet his kinsman, and worshipped
and kissed him: and they saluted one another with words
of peace. And when he was come into the tent,
Moses told his kinsman all that the Lord had done to
Pharao, and the Egyptians, in favour of Israel: and
all the labour which had befallen them in the journey,
and that the Lord had delivered them.
And Jethro rejoiced for all the good things that the
Lord had done to Israel, because he had delivered them
out of the hands of the Egyptians.
And he said: Blessed is the Lord, who hath delivered
you out of the hand of Pharao, and out of the hand of
the Egyptians, who hath delivered his people out of
the hand of Egypt.
Now I know that the Lord is great above all gods: because
they dealt proudly against them.
So Jethro the kinsman of Moses offered holocausts and
sacrifices to God: and Aaron and all the ancients of
Israel came, to eat bread with them before God.
And the next day Moses sat, to judge the people, who
stood by Moses from morning until night.
And when his kinsman had seen all things that he did
among the people, he said: What is it that thou dost
among the people? Why sittest thou alone, and all the
people wait from morning till night.
And Moses answered him: The people come to me to seek
the judgment of God.
And when any controversy falleth out among them, they
come to me to judge between them, and to shew the precepts
of God, and his laws.
But he said: The thing thou dost is not good.
Thou are spent with foolish labour, both thou and this
people that is with thee: the business is above thy
strength, thou alone canst not bear it.
But hear my words and counsels, and God shall be with
thee. Be thou to the people in those things that pertain
to God, to bring their words to him:
And to shew the people the ceremonies and the manner
of worshipping, and the way wherein they ought to walk,
and the work that they ought to do.
And provide out of all the people able men, such as
fear God, in whom there is truth, and that hate avarice,
and appoint of them rulers of thousands, and of hundreds,
and of fifties, and of tens.
Who may judge the people at all times: and when any
great matter soever shall fall out, let them refer it
to thee, and let them judge the lesser matters only:
that so it may be lighter for thee, the burden being
shared out unto others.
If thou dost this, thou shalt fulfil the commandment
of God, and shalt be able to bear his precepts: and
all this people shall return to their places with peace.
And when Moses heard this, he did all things that he
had suggested unto him.
And choosing able men out of all Israel, he appointed
them rulers of the people, rulers over thousands, and
over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
And they judged the people at all times: and whatsoever
was of greater difficulty they referred to him, and
they judged the easier cases only.
And he let his kinsman depart: and he returned and went
into his own country. |
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