1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt; 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: 5 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: 6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
7 ¶ And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
13 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: 16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so , then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 ¶ And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
1 cumque audisset Iethro sacerdos Madian cognatus Mosi
omnia quae fecerat Deus Mosi et Israhel
populo suo
eo quod eduxisset Dominus Israhel de Aegypto
2 tulit Sefforam uxorem Mosi quam remiserat
3 et duos filios eius
quorum unus vocabatur Gersan
dicente patre advena fui in terra aliena
4 alter vero Eliezer Deus enim ait patris mei adiutor meus
et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis
5 venit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi
et filii eius et uxor ad Mosen in desertum
ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei
6 et mandavit Mosi dicens
ego cognatus tuus Iethro venio ad te
et uxor tua et duo filii tui cum ea
7 qui egressus in occursum cognati sui adoravit et osculatus est eum
salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis
cumque intrasset tabernaculum
8 narravit Moses cognato suo
cuncta quae fecerat Deus Pharaoni et Aegyptiis propter
Israhel
universum laborem qui accidisset eis in itinere
quo liberarat eos Dominus
9 laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis
quae fecerat Dominus Israheli
eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum
10 et ait benedictus Dominus
qui liberavit vos de manu Aegyptiorum et de manu Pharaonis
qui eruit populum suum de manu Aegypti
11 nunc cognovi quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos
eo quod superbe egerint contra illos
12 obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi holocausta et hostias Deo
veneruntque Aaron et omnes senes Israhel
ut comederent panem cum eo coram Domino
13 altero autem die sedit Moses ut iudicaret populum
qui adsistebat Mosi de mane usque ad vesperam
14 quod cum vidisset cognatus eius
omnia scilicet quae agebat in populo ait
quid est hoc quod facis in plebe
cur solus sedes
et omnis populus praestolatur de mane usque ad vesperam
15 cui respondit Moses
venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei
16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio
veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos
et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius
17 at ille non bonam inquit rem facis
18 stulto labore consumeris et tu et populus iste qui tecum est
ultra vires tuas est negotium solus illud non poteris sustinere
19 sed audi verba mea atque consilia
et erit Deus tecum
esto tu populo in his quae ad Deum pertinent
ut referas quae dicuntur ad eum
20 ostendasque populo caerimonias et ritum colendi
viamque per quam ingredi debeant
et opus quod facere
21 provide autem de omni plebe viros potentes et timentes
Deum
in quibus sit veritas et qui oderint avaritiam
et constitue ex eis tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et
decanos
22 qui iudicent populum omni tempore
quicquid autem maius fuerit referant ad te
et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent
leviusque tibi sit partito in alios onere
23 si hoc feceris implebis imperium Dei
et praecepta eius poteris sustentare
et omnis hic populus revertetur cum pace ad loca sua
24 quibus auditis Moses fecit omnia quae ille suggesserat
25 et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israhel
constituit eos principes populi
tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos
26 qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore
quicquid autem gravius erat referebant ad eum
faciliora tantummodo iudicantes
27 dimisitque cognatum qui reversus abiit in terram suam