1
And Yitro, kohen of Midyan, father-in-law of Mosheh, heard all that Elohim had done for Mosheh and for Yisra’el His people, how Yahuah had brought Yisra’el out from Mitzrayim.
2
And Yitro, father-in-law of Mosheh, took Tzipporah, the ishah of Mosheh, after he had sent her away,
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and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”
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and the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “The Elohim of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
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And Yitro, father-in-law of Mosheh, came with his sons and his ishah to Mosheh in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of Elohim.
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And he said to Mosheh, “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you, and your ishah, and her two sons with her.”
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And Mosheh went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed himself and kissed him. And each ish asked his companion concerning peace, and they came into the tent.
8
And Mosheh recounted to his father-in-law all that Yahuah had done to Pharaoh and to Mitzrayim for the sake of Yisra’el, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how Yahuah had delivered them.
9
And Yitro rejoiced over all the good that Yahuah had done for Yisra’el, whom He had delivered from the hand of the Mitzrim.
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And Yitro said, “Blessed be Yahuah, who delivered you from the hand of the Mitzrim and from the hand of Pharaoh, who delivered the people from beneath the hand of the Mitzrim.
11
Now I know that Yahuah is greater than all the elohim, for in the very matter in which they acted arrogantly, He was above them.”
12
And Yitro, father-in-law of Mosheh, took an ascending offering and sacrifices for Elohim. And Aharon came, and all the elders of Yisra’el, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Mosheh before Elohim.
13
And it came to pass on the next day that Mosheh sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Mosheh from the morning until the evening.
14
And the father-in-law of Mosheh saw all that he was doing for the people and said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
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And Mosheh said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek Elohim.
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When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between an ish and his companion, and I make known the statutes of Elohim and His Torah.”
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And the father-in-law of Mosheh said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.
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Wearing down, you will surely wear yourself down, both you and this people who are with you, for the matter is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.
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And now, listen to my voice. I will counsel you, and Elohim shall be with you. You be for the people before Elohim, and you shall bring the matters to Elohim.
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And you shall warn them concerning the statutes and the Torah, and make known to them the way in which they shall walk and the work that they shall do.
21
And you shall see from all the people able men, fearing Elohim, men of truth, hating unjust gain. And you shall set these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
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And they shall judge the people at all times. And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. And make it lighter upon yourself, and let them bear the burden with you.
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If you do this thing, and Elohim commands you, then you shall be able to endure, and all this people also shall come to their place in peace.”
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And Mosheh listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
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And Mosheh chose able men from all Yisra’el and set them as heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
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And they judged the people at all times. The difficult matter they brought to Mosheh, but every small matter they themselves judged.
27
And Mosheh sent his father-in-law away, and he went to his own land.