1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God {Elohim, Mighty Deliverer} had accomplished for Moses and for Israel his people—how the LORD {YHWH, Exodus Redeemer} had brought Israel out from Egypt.
2 And Jethro {Yitro: Midian priest}, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent away {shillucheha: formal dismissal}.
3 And her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner {ger: resident alien} in a foreign land {nokhriyah: outside the homeland}.”
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer, for the God {Elohei avi, Ancestral Protector} of my father was my help, and He {Elohim, Faithful Deliverer} delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5 And Jethro {Yitro: Midianite family elder}, the father-in-law of Moses, came with his sons and his wife to Moses, to the wilderness where he was encamping at the mountain of God {Elohim, Majestic Revealer}.
6 And he said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro {yitro: related by marriage}, am coming to you, and your wife {ishah: marital companion} and her two sons are with her.”
7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law {khotno: honored family elder}, and he bowed down and kissed him, and they asked each other about their well-being {leshalom: wholeness and safety}, and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD {YHWH, Mighty Deliverer} had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the hardship {tela’ah: distressing trouble} that had met them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Deliverer} had done for Israel, for He {YHWH, Compassionate Savior} had rescued them from the hand of Egypt.
10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD {YHWH, Mighty Deliverer}, who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt {Mitsrayim: land of bondage} and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.”
11 Now I know that the LORD {YHWH, Exalted Above All} is greater than all the gods, because in the very matter {davar: decisive judgment} in which they acted arrogantly against them, He proved Himself above them.
12 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God {Elohim, Worthy Recipient}, and Aaron came along with all the elders {ziknei: senior tribal leaders} of Israel to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God.
13 And on the following day Moses {Mosheh: appointed mediator} took his seat to judge the people, and the people remained standing before Moses from morning until the evening {erev: close of daylight}.
14 When Moses’ father-in-law {choten: relative by marriage} saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this matter that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit by yourself {levaddekha: in solitude} while all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
15 And Moses {Mosheh: drawn out} said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God {Elohim, Wise Revealer}.”
16 Whenever they have a matter come to them, it comes to me and I judge between a man and his fellow, and I make known the statutes of God {Elohim, Divine Lawgiver} and His laws {torotav: covenant instructions}.
17 And Moses’ father-in-law {choten: marital relative} said to him, “The thing {davar: specific matter} that you are doing is not good.”
18 You {attah: individual recipient} will indeed wear out—both you and the people who are with you—for this case {davar: legal case} is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it on your own.
19 Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God {Elohim, Wise Guide} be with you. Act for the people {am: covenant community} before God, and you shall bring the matters to God.
20 And you shall warn them about the statutes {chukkim: fixed legal requirements} and the instructions, and you shall make known to them the way in which they should walk and the deed {maaseh: concrete daily practice} which they should do.
21 And you shall select from all the people men of ability {chayil: strength and resourcefulness}, those who fear God {Elohim, Holy Judge}, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall appoint them as leaders over thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens.
22 And they shall judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall decide. In this way it will be lighter {hakel: less burdensome} for you, and they will bear {nas'u: share burden} it with you.
23 If you do this matter {davar: judicial arrangement}, and God {Elohim, Wise Commander} commands you, then you will be able to stand, and also all the people will come to their place in peace.
24 And Moses {Moshe: appointed leader} listened to the voice {qol: spoken guidance} of his father-in-law, and he carried out everything that he had said.
25 And Moses {Mosheh: appointed deliverer} selected men of valor {anshei-chayil: proven champions} from all Israel, and he set them as heads over the people—chiefs over thousands, chiefs over hundreds, chiefs over fifties, and chiefs over tens.
26 And they judged {veshaftu: administered legal decisions} the people continually; the difficult matter {hadavar: judicial case} they brought to Moses, but every small matter they themselves decided.
27 So Moses {Mosheh: appointed leader} released his father-in-law {khoten: relative by marriage}, and he went back to his own land.