1And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, that YHWH had brought Israel out from Egypt.
2And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, the wife (ishah) of Moses, after he had sent her away,
3and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom, for he said: "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land";
4and the name of the other was Eliezer: "for the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh."
5And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife (ishah) to Moses, to the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God;
6and he said to Moses: "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife (ishah), and her two sons with her."
7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down and kissed him; and they asked a man (ish) of his neighbor of welfare; and they came into the tent (ohel).
8And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that YHWH had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how YHWH delivered them.
9And Jethro rejoiced over all the good which YHWH had done to Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of Egypt.
10And Jethro said: "Blessed be YHWH, who has delivered you out of the hand of Egypt and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.
11Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the gods; for in the matter in which they acted proudly, He was over them."
12And 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.
13And it came to pass on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from the morning until the evening.
14And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said: "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone, and all the people standing by you from morning until evening?"
15And Moses said to his father-in-law: "Because the people come to me to inquire of God;
16when they have a matter, it comes to me; and I judge between a man (ish) and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes (chuqqim) of God and His Torah."
17And Moses' father-in-law said to him: "The thing that you are doing is not good.
18You 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 do it alone.
19Now listen to my voice, I will counsel you, and may God be with you: be you for the people before God, and bring you the matters to God;
20and you shall warn them of the statutes (chuqqim) and the Torah, and make known to them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21And you shall look out from all the people men (ish) of valor, fearers of God, men (ish) of truth, hating unjust gain; and set over them rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22And 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 shall judge themselves; so make it lighter for yourself, and they shall bear with you.
23If you do this thing, and God commands (tzivvah) you so, then you will be able to endure, and also all this people shall go to their place in peace."
24And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25And Moses chose men (ish) of valor out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
26And they judged the people at all times: the hard matter they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he went his way to his own land.