1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for His people Israel; that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife (after Moses had sent her away),

3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land)

4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh);

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

6 And he said to Moses, I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.

7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their welfare, and they went into the tent.

8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, all the distress that they had encountered along the way, and how Jehovah had delivered them.

9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which Jehovah had done for Israel, whom He had delivered 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, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all the gods; for in the very things in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.

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

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.

14 And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?

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

16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor; and I make known the statutes of God and His Laws.

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

18 Both you and these people who are with you will droop to exhaustion. For this thing is too much of a burden for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you: Be before God for the people, so that you may bring the matters to God.

20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the Laws, and show them the way in which they should walk and the work they should do.

21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, who fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, and they shall bear the burden with you.

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

24 So Moses heeded 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: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 And they judged the people at all times; the hard matters they brought to Moses, but they judged every small matter themselves.

27 And Moses sent his father-in-law away, and he departed to his own land.

1 ORA Jetro, sacerdote de Midiã, sogro de Moisés, ouviu todas as cousas que Deus tinha feito a Moisés e a Israel seu povo: como o Senhor tinha tirado a Israel do Egito. 2 E Jetro, sogro de Moisés, tomou a Zípora, a mulher de Moisés, depois que ele lha enviara, 3 Com seus dois filhos, dos quais um se chamava Gérson; porque disse: Eu fui peregrino em terra estranha; 4 E o outro se chamava Eliézer; porque disse: o Deus de meu pai foi minha ajuda, e me livrou da espada de Faraó. 5 Vindo pois Jetro, o sogro de Moisés, com seus filhos e com sua mulher, a Moisés no deserto, ao monte de Deus, onde se tinha acampado, 6 Disse a Moisés: Eu, teu sogro Jetro, venho a ti, com tua mulher, e seus dois filhos com ela. 7 Então saiu Moisés ao encontro de seu sogro, e inclinou-se, e beijou-o, e perguntaram um ao outro como estavam, e entraram na tenda. 8 E Moisés contou a seu sogro todas as cousas que o Senhor tinha feito a Faraó e aos egípcios por amor de Israel, e todo o trabalho que passaram no caminho, e como o Senhor os livrara. 9 E alegrou-se Jetro de todo o bem que o Senhor tinha feito a Israel, livrando-o da mão dos egípcios. 10 E Jetro disse: Bendito seja o Senhor, que vos livrou das mãos dos egípcios e da mão de Faraó; que livrou a este povo de debaixo da mão dos egípcios. 11 Agora sei que o Senhor é maior que todos os deuses; porque na cousa em que se ensoberbeceram, os sobrepujou. 12 Então tomou Jetro, o sogro de Moisés, holocausto e sacrifícios para Deus; e veio Aarão, e todos os anciãos de Israel, para comerem pão com o sogro de Moisés diante de Deus. 13 E aconteceu que, ao outro dia, Moisés assentou-se para julgar o povo; e o povo estava em pé diante de Moisés desde a manhã até à tarde. 14 Vendo pois o sogro de Moisés tudo o que ele fazia ao povo, disse: Que é isto, que tu fazes ao povo? por que te assentas só, e todo o povo está em pé diante de ti, desde a manhã até à tarde? 15 Então disse Moisés a seu sogro: É porque este povo vem a mim, para consultar a Deus: 16 Quando tem algum negócio vem a mim, para que eu julgue entre um e outro, e lhes declare os estatutos de Deus, e as suas leis. 17 O sogro de Moisés porém lhe disse: Não é bom o que fazes. 18 Totalmente desfalecerás, assim tu, como este povo que está contigo: porque este negócio é mui difícil para ti; tu só não o podes fazer. 19 Ouve agora a minha voz; eu te aconselharei, e Deus será contigo: Sê tu pelo povo diante de Deus, e leva tu as cousas a Deus; 20 E declara-lhes os estatutos e as leis, e faze-lhes saber o caminho em que devem andar, e a obra que devem fazer. 21 E tu dentre todo o povo procura homens capazes, tementes a Deus, homens de verdade, que aborreçam a avareza; e põe-nos sobre eles por maiorais de mil, maiorais de cem, maiorais de cinquenta, e maiorais de dez; 22 Para que julguem este povo em todo o tempo, e seja que todo o negócio grave tragam a ti, mas todo o negócio pequeno eles o julguem; assim a ti mesmo te aliviarás da carga, e eles a levarão contigo. 23 Se isto fizeres, e Deus to mandar, poderás então subsistir: assim também todo este povo em paz virá ao seu lugar. 24 E Moisés deu ouvidos à voz de seu sogro e fez tudo quanto tinha dito; 25 E escolheu Moisés homens capazes, de todo o Israel, e os pôs por cabeças sobre o povo: maiorais de mil e maiorais de cem, maiorais de cinquenta, e maiorais de dez. 26 E eles julgaram o povo em todo o tempo; o negócio árduo trouxeram a Moisés, e todo o negócio pequeno julgaram eles. 27 Então despediu Moisés o seu sogro, o qual se foi à sua terra.