Exodus 18 · Parashat Yitro

When Yitro, the priest of Midyan, Moshe’s father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisra᾽el his people, and that the Lord had brought Yisra᾽el out of Miżrayim;

then Yitro, Moshe’s father in law, took Żippora, Moshe’s wife, after he had sent her back,

and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:)

and the name of the other was Eli῾ezer (for the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Par῾o:)

and Yitro, Moshe’s father in law, came, with his sons and his wife to Moshe into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

and he said to Moshe, I thy father in law Yitro am come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

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

And Moshe told his father in law all that the Lord had done to Par῾o and to Miżrayim for the sake of Yisra᾽el, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.

And Yitro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Yisra᾽el, whom he had delivered out of the hand of Miżrayim.

And Yitro said, Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of Miżrayim, and out of the hand of Par῾o, who has delivered the people from under the hand of Miżrayim.

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

And Yitro, Moshe’s father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aharon came, and all the elders of Yisra᾽el, to eat bread with Moshe’s father in law before God.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moshe sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moshe from the morning to the evening.

And when Moshe’s father in law saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest for the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning to evening?

And Moshe 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 one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God and his Torot.

And Moshe’s father in law said to him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

Hearken now to my voice, I will give thee counsel, and may God be with thee: Be thou the link between the people and God, that thou mayst bring the cases to God:

and thou shalt teach them the ordinances and the Torot, and shalt show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens;

and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring to thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall go to their place in peace.

So Moshe hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

And Moshe chose able men out of all Yisra᾽el, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

And they judged the people at all times: the hard cases they brought to Moshe, but every small matter they judged themselves.

And Moshe let his father in law depart; and he went his way to his own land.