1 And Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people; that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.2 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,3 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,4 -and the name of the other, Eliezer-For the God of my father has been my help, and has delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God.6 And he sent word to Moses: I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come to 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 {after} their welfare, and went into the tent.8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake; all the trouble that had befallen them on the way, and {how} Jehovah had delivered them.9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness that Jehovah had done to Israel; that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.10 And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, 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.11 Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for in the thing in which they acted haughtily {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 in the presence of 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 to the evening.14 And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did with the people, and said, What is this thing which thou art doing with the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people are standing by thee from morning to evening?15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to enquire of God.16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known {to them} the statutes of God, and his laws.17 And Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou art doing is not good.18 Thou wilt be quite exhausted, both thou and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee: thou canst not perform it alone.19 Hearken now to my voice: I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring the matters before God;20 and teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.21 But do thou provide among all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place {them} over them, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens,22 that they may judge the people at all times; and it shall be {that} they shall bring to thee every great matter, and that they shall judge every small matter, and they shall lighten {the task} on thee, and they shall bear {it} with thee.23 If thou do this thing, and God command thee {so}, thou wilt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.24 And 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, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.26 And they judged the people at all times: the hard matters they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged.27 And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he departed into his land.

1 Toe Jetro, die priester van M¡dian, Moses se skoonvader, hoor alles wat God aan Moses en aan sy volk Israel gedoen het -- dat die HERE Israel uit Egipte uitgelei het --2 het Jetro, Moses se skoonvader, Sippora, die vrou van Moses, geneem -- nadat hy haar teruggestuur het --3 en haar twee seuns. Die naam van die een was Gersom, want hy het gesê: Ek het 'n vreemdeling geword in 'n vreemde land;4 en die naam van die ander was Eliëser; want, het hy gesê, die God van my vader is my hulp en het my van Farao se swaard verlos.5 En Jetro, Moses se skoonvader, het met sy seuns en sy vrou na Moses gekom in die woestyn waar hy by die berg van God met die laer gestaan het.6 En hy het Moses laat weet: Ek, jou skoonvader Jetro, kom na jou met jou vrou en haar twee seuns saam met haar.7 Daarop gaan Moses uit, sy skoonvader tegemoet, en hy het gebuig en hom gesoen; en hulle het na mekaar se welstand gevra en in die tent ingegaan.8 Moses vertel toe aan sy skoonvader alles wat die HERE aan Farao en aan die Egiptenaars, ter wille van Israel, gedoen het; al die moeilikheid wat hulle op die pad oorgekom het, en dat die HERE hulle verlos het.9 En Jetro het hom verheug oor al die goeie wat die HERE aan Israel gedoen het, dat Hy hulle uit die hand van die Egiptenaars verlos het.10 Daarop sê Jetro: Geseënd is die HERE wat julle verlos het uit die hand van die Egiptenaars en uit die hand van Farao, wat die volk onder die hand van die Egiptenaars uit verlos het.11 Nou weet ek dat die HERE groter is as al die gode, naamlik in die saak waarin hulle vermetel was teen hulle.12 Daarop het Jetro, Moses se skoonvader, 'n brandoffer en slagoffers geneem tot eer van God. En A„ron en al die oudstes van Israel het gekom om saam met Moses se skoonvader brood te eet voor die aangesig van God.13 En die volgende dag het Moses gesit om reg te spreek vir die volk; en die volk het voor Moses gestaan van die môre tot die aand toe.14 En toe Moses se skoonvader sien alles wat hy vir die volk doen, sê hy: Wat is dit wat jy vir die volk doen? Waarom sit jy alleen, en die hele volk staan voor jou van die môre tot die aand toe?15 En Moses antwoord sy skoonvader: Omdat die volk na my kom om God te raadpleeg.16 As hulle 'n saak het, kom hulle na my; en dan moet ek regspreek tussen die partye en die insettinge van God en sy wette bekend maak.17 Maar Moses se skoonvader sê vir hom: Die ding wat jy doen, is nie goed nie.18 Jy sal heeltemal uitgeput raak, jy sowel as hierdie volk wat by jou is. Want die saak is te swaar vir jou; jy kan dit nie alleen doen nie.19 Luister nou na my; ek sal jou raad gee, en God sal met jou wees. Wat jou betref, wees jy die verteenwoordiger van die volk by God en bring jy die sake voor God,20 en onderrig hulle in die insettinge en die wette, en maak hulle die weg bekend waarop hulle moet gaan, en die werk wat hulle moet doen.21 Maar kies jy uit die hele volk bekwame manne wat God vrees, betroubare manne wat onregverdige wins haat. En stel die aan oor hulle: owerstes oor duisend, owerstes oor honderd, owerstes oor vyftig en owerstes oor tien;22 en laat hulle voortdurend oor die volk die regspraak uitoefen: al die groot sake moet hulle na jou bring, maar in al die klein sake moet hulle self regspreek. Maak dit so ligter vir jou, en laat hulle saam met jou dra.23 As jy dit doen en God dit jou beveel, kan jy dit uithou en sal ook al hierdie mense tevrede na hulle woonplek gaan.24 Moses het toe geluister na sy skoonvader en alles gedoen wat hy gesê het --25 Moses het bekwame manne uit die hele Israel gekies en hulle as hoofde oor die volk aangestel -- owerstes oor duisend, owerstes oor honderd, owerstes oor vyftig en owerstes oor tien.26 En hulle het voortdurend oor die volk die regspraak uitgeoefen: die moeilike sake het hulle na Moses gebring, maar in al die klein sake self reggespreek.27 Toe het Moses sy skoonvader laat gaan, en hy het na sy land getrek.