Dual Panel1Jethro <03503>, the priest <03548> of Midian <04080>, Moses <04872>’ father-in-law <02859>, heard <08085> about all <03605> that <0834> God <0430> had done <06213> for Moses <04872> and for his people <05971> Israel <03478>, that <03588> the Lord <03068> had brought <03318> Israel <03478> out <03318> of Egypt <04714>.
2Jethro <03503>, Moses <04872>’ father-in-law <02859>, took <03947> Moses <04872>’ wife <0802> Zipporah <06855> after <0310> he had sent her back <07964>,
3and her two <08147> sons <01121>, one <0259> of whom <0834> was named <08034> Gershom <01647> (for <03588> Moses had said <0559>, “I have been <01961> a foreigner <01616> in a foreign <05237> land <0776>”),
4and the other <0259> Eliezer <0461> (for <03588> Moses had said, “The God <0430> of my father <01> has been my help <05828> and delivered <05337> me from the sword <02719> of Pharaoh <06547>”).
5Jethro <03503>, Moses’ father-in-law <02859>, together with Moses <04872>’ sons <01121> and his wife <0802>, came <0935> to <0413> Moses <04872> in <0413> the desert <04057> where <08033> <0834> he <01931> was camping <02583> by the mountain <02022> of God <0430>.
6He said <0559> to <0413> Moses <04872>, “I <0589>, your father-in-law <02859> Jethro <03503>, am coming <0935> to <0413> you, along with your wife <0802> and her two <08147> sons <01121> with <05973> her.”
7Moses <04872> went out <03318> to meet <07125> his father-in-law <02859> and bowed down <07812> and kissed <05401> him; they each <0376> asked <07592> about the other’s <07453> welfare <07965>, and then they went <0935> into the tent <0168>.
8Moses <04872> told <05608> his father-in-law <02859> all <03605> that <0834> the Lord <03068> had done <06213> to Pharaoh <06547> and to Egypt <04714> for <05921> Israel’s <03478> sake <0182>, and all <03605> the hardship <08513> that <0834> had come <04672> on them along the way <01870>, and how the Lord <03068> had delivered <05337> them.
9Jethro <03503> rejoiced <02302> because <05921> of all <03605> the good <02896> that <0834> the Lord <03068> had done <06213> for Israel <03478>, whom <0834> he had delivered <05337> from the hand <03027> of Egypt <04713>.
10Jethro <03503> said <0559>, “Blessed <01288> be the Lord <03068> who <0834> has delivered <05337> you from the hand <03027> of Egypt <04713>, and from the hand <03027> of Pharaoh <06547>, who <0834> has delivered <05337> the people <05971> from <08478> the Egyptians <04713>’ control <03027>!
11Now <06258> I know <03045> that <03588> the Lord <03068> is greater <01419> than all <03605> the gods <0430>, for <03588> in the thing <01697> in which <0834> they dealt proudly <02102> against <05921> them he has destroyed them.”
12Then Jethro <03503>, Moses <04872>’ father-in-law <02859>, brought <03947> a burnt offering <05930> and sacrifices <02077> for God <0430>, and Aaron <0175> and all <03605> the elders <02205> of Israel <03478> came <0935> to eat <0398> food <03899> with <05973> the father-in-law <02859> of Moses <04872> before <06440> God <0430>.
13On the next day <04283> Moses <04872> sat <03427> to judge <08199> the people <05971>, and the people <05971> stood <05975> around <05921> Moses <04872> from <04480> morning <01242> until <05704> evening <06153>.
14When Moses <04872>’ father-in-law <02859> saw <07200> all <03605> that <0834> he <01931> was doing <06213> for the people <05971>, he said <0559>, “What <04100> is this <02088> <01697> that <0834> you <0859> are doing <06213> for the people <05971>? Why <04069> are you <0859> sitting <03427> by yourself <0910>, and all <03605> the people <05971> stand <05324> around <05921> you from <04480> morning <01242> until <05704> evening <06153>?”
15Moses <04872> said <0559> to his father-in-law <02859>, “Because <03588> the people <05971> come <0935> to <0413> me to inquire <01875> of God <0430>.
16When <01961> they have a dispute <01697>, it comes <0935> to <0413> me and I decide <08199> between <0996> a man <0376> and <0996> his neighbor <07453>, and I make known <03045> the decrees <02706> of God <0430> and his laws <08451>.”
17Moses <04872>’ father-in-law <02859> said <0559> to <0413> him, “What <01697> you <0859> are doing <06213> is not <03808> good <02896>!
18You will surely wear <05034> <05034> out, both <01571> you <0859> and <01571> these <02088> people <05971> who <0834> are with <05973> you, for <03588> this is too heavy <03515> a burden <01697> for you; you are not <03808> able <03201> to do <06213> it by yourself <0910>.
19Now <06258> listen <08085> to me <06963>, I will give <03289> you advice <03289>, and may God <0430> be with <05973> you <0859>: You be a representative <04136> for the people <05971> to God <0430>, and you <0859> bring <0935> their disputes <01697> to <0413> God <0430>;
20warn <02094> them of the statutes <02706> and the laws <08451>, and make known <03045> to them the way <01870> in which they must walk <01980> and the work <04639> they must do <06213>.
21But you <0859> choose <02372> from the people <05971> capable <02428> men <0376>, God-fearing <0430> <03373>, men <0376> of truth <0571>, those who hate <08130> bribes <01215>, and put <07760> them over <05921> the people as rulers <08269> of thousands <0505>, rulers <08269> of hundreds <03967>, rulers <08269> of fifties <02572>, and rulers <08269> of tens <06235>.
22They will judge <08199> the people <05971> under normal circumstances <06256> <03605>, and every <03605> difficult <01419> case <01697> they will bring <0935> to <0413> you, but every <03605> small <06996> case <01697> they themselves <01992> will judge <08199>, so that you may make <07043> it easier <07043> for <05921> yourself, and they will bear <05375> the burden with <0854> you.
23If <0518> you do <06213> this <02088> thing <01697>, and God <0430> so commands <06680> you, then you will be able <03201> to endure <05975>, and <01571> all <03605> these <02088> people <05971> will be able to go <0935> home <04725> satisfied <07965>.”
24Moses <04872> listened to <06963> <08085> his father-in-law <02859> and did <06213> everything <03605> he had said <0559>.
25Moses <04872> chose <0977> capable <02428> men <0582> from all <03605> Israel <03478>, and he made <05414> them heads <07218> over <05921> the people <05971>, rulers <08269> of thousands <0505>, rulers <08269> of hundreds <03967>, rulers <08269> of fifties <02572>, and rulers <08269> of tens <06235>.
26They judged <08199> the people <05971> under normal circumstances <06256> <03605>; the difficult <07186> cases <01697> they would bring <0935> to <0413> Moses <04872>, but every <03605> small <06996> case <01697> they would judge <08199> themselves <01992>.
27Then Moses <04872> sent <07971> his father-in-law <02859> on <07971> his way <07971>, and so Jethro went <01980> to <0413> his own land <0776>.