Exodus 18

¹And When Jethro the Priest of Madian, the allied of Moyses, had heard all the things, that God had done to Moyses, and to Israel his people, and that our Lord had brought forth Israel out of Ægypt;

²he took Sephora the wife of Moyses whom he had sent back:

³and her two sons, of which one was called Gersam, his father saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country;

⁴And the other Eliezer: for the God of my father, quoth he, is my helper, and hath delivered me from Pharao's sword.

⁵Jethro therefore the allied of Moyses came and his sons, and his wife to Moyses into the desert, where he was camped beside the mountain of God.

⁶And he sent word to Moyses, saying: I Jethro thy allied come to thee, and thy wife, and thy two children with her.

⁷Who going forth to meet his allied, adored, and kissed him: and they saluted one another with words of peace. And when he was entered into the tent,

⁸Moyses told his allied all things that our Lord had done to Pharao, and the Ægyptians for Israel: and the whole travail which had chanced to them in the journey, and that our Lord had delivered them.

⁹And Jethro rejoiced for all the good things, that our Lord had done to Israel, because he had delivered them out of the hands of the Ægyptians,

¹⁰and he said: Blessed is the Lord, that hath delivered you out of the hand of the Ægyptians, and out of the hand of Pharao, that hath delivered his people out of the hand of Ægypt.

¹¹Now do I know, that the Lord is great above all gods: for because they dealt proudly against them.

¹²Jethro therefore the allied of Moyses offered holocausts and hosts to God: and Aaron and all the ancients of Israel came, to eat bread with him before God.

¹³And the next day Moyses sat to judge the people, who stood by Moyses from morning until night.

¹⁴Which thing when his allied had seen, to wit, all things that he did in the people, he said: What is this that thou doest in the people? Why sittest thou alone, and all the people attendeth from morning until night?

¹⁵To whom Moyses answered: The people cometh to me seeking the sentence of God.

¹⁶And when any controversy chanceth among them, they come unto me to judge between them, and to shew the precepts of God, and his laws.

¹⁷But he said: Thou doest not well:

¹⁸Thou art tired with foolish labour, both thou, and this people that is with thee, the business is above thy strength, thou alone canst not sustain it.

¹⁹But hear my words and councils, and God shall be with thee. Be thou to the people in those things that pertain to God, to report their words unto him:

²⁰& to shew to the people the ceremonies & rite of worshipping, and the way wherein they ought to walk, and the work that they ought to do.

²¹And provide out of all the people men that are wise, & do fear God, in whom there is truth, and that do hate avarice, and appoint of them tribunes, and centurions, and quinquagenarians, and deans,

²²which may judge the people at all times: and what great matter soever shall fall out, let them refer it to thee, & let them judge the less matters only: & so it may be lighter for thee, the burden being imparted unto others.

²³If thou doest this, thou shalt fulfill the commandment of God, & shalt be able to bear his precepts: and all this people shall return to their places with peace.

²⁴Which things when Moyses heard, he did all things that he had suggested unto him.

²⁵And choosing substantial men out of all Israel, he appointed them Princes of the people, tribunes, and centurions, and quinquagenarians, and deans.

²⁶Who judged the people at all time: and whatsoever was of greater difficulty they referred to him, themselves judging the easier cases only.

²⁷And he dismissed his allied: who returning went into his country.