The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 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.

Jethro Advises Moses

(Deuteronomy 1:9–18)

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 fulfill 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.

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom,(a) for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.

The name of the other was Eliezer,(b) for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Jethro Advises Moses

(Deuteronomy 1:9–18)

On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

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.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

Footnotes

(a)18:3 “Gershom” sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there”.

(b)18:4 Eliezer means “God is my helper”.