Jethro Visits Moses
1 Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and the people of Israel when he led them out of Egypt. 2 So he came to Moses, bringing with him Moses' wife Zipporah, who had been left behind, 3 and Gershom and Eliezer, her two sons. (Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a strange land”; so he had named one son Gershom. 4 He had also said, “The God of my father helped me and saved me from being killed by the king of Egypt”; so he had named the other son Eliezer. ) 5 Jethro came with Moses' wife and her two sons into the desert where Moses was camped at the holy mountain. 6 He had sent word to Moses that they were coming, 7 so Moses went out to meet him, bowed before him, and kissed him. They asked about each other's health and then went into Moses' tent. 8 Moses told Jethro everything that the Lord had done to the king and the people of Egypt in order to rescue the Israelites. He also told him about the hardships the people had faced on the way and how the Lord had saved them. 9 When Jethro heard all this, he was happy 10 and said, “Praise the Lord, who saved you from the king and the people of Egypt! Praise the Lord, who saved his people from slavery! 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, because he did this when the Egyptians treated the Israelites with such contempt.” 12 Then Jethro brought an offering to be burned whole and other sacrifices to be offered to God; and Aaron and all the leaders of Israel went with him to eat the sacred meal as an act of worship.
The Appointment of Judges
(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)13 The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night. 14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, “What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?”
15 Moses answered, “I must do this because the people come to me to learn God's will. 16 When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God's commands and laws.”
17 Then Jethro said, “You are not doing this right. 18 You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone. 19 Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 You should teach them God's commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do. 21 But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed. 22 Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden. 23 If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out, and all these people can go home with their disputes settled.”
24 Moses took Jethro's advice 25 and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people on a permanent basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses but deciding the smaller disputes themselves.
27 Then Moses said good-bye to Jethro, and Jethro went back home.
1 Midiana priesteris, Mozus sievas tēvs, Jetrus dzirdēja visu, ko Dievs Mozum un Israēlam, savai tautai, bija darījis, kā tas Kungs Israēlu bija izvedis no Ēģiptes.
2 Tad Jetrus, Mozus sievas tēvs, paņēma Mozus sievu Ciporu—pēc tam, kad tas viņu bija atsūtījis atpakaļ,
3 Un divi tās dēlus. Tā viena vārds ir Geršoms (tāpēc, ka viņš bija sacījis: „Es esmu svešinieks bijis nepazīstamā zemē)“.
4 Bet otra vārds bija Ēliēzers (jo viņš bija sacījis: „Mana tēva Dievs ir mans palīgs bijis, un Viņš mani ir izglābis no faraona zobena“).
5 Un Jetrus, Mozus sievas tēvs, viņa dēli un viņa sieva nāca pie Mozus tuksnesī tanī brīdī, kad tas bija uzcēlis nometni pie Dieva kalna.
6 Un viņš paziņoja Mozum: „Es esmu tavs sievas tēvs Jetrus; pie tevis ir atnākusi tava sieva un līdz ar viņu divi tās dēli.“
7 Un Mozus izgāja savam sievas tēvam pretim un noliecās viņa priekšā un noskūpstīja to, un viņi jautāja viens otram, kā tiem klājas, un tad iegāja teltī.
8 Un Mozus izstāstīja savam sievas tēvam visu, ko tas Kungs faraonam un ēģiptiešiem Israēla labā bija darījis, un visus tos grūtumus, ar kādiem tie ceļā bija sastapušies, un kā tas Kungs viņus bija izglābis.
9 Un Jetrus priecājās par visu, ko tas Kungs Israēlam bija darījis, tos izglābdams no ēģiptiešu rokas.
10 Un Jetrus sacīja: „Svētīts lai ir tas Kungs, kas jūs ir izglābis no ēģiptiešu rokas un no faraona rokas.
11 Tagad es zinu, ka tas Kungs ir lielāks par visiem dieviem, jo Viņš jūs izglābis, kad tie kļuva lieli savā garā.“
12 Un Mozus sievas tēvs Jetrus upurēja dedzināmo un kaujamo upuri Dievam, un Arons un visi Israēla vecaji nāca ēst maizi ar Mozus sievas tēvu Dieva priekšā.
13 Nākamajā dienā Mozus apsēdās, lai ļaudīm spriestu tiesu; un tauta nāca Mozus priekšā no rīta līdz vakaram.
14 Un Mozus sievas tēvs noskatījās visu, ko Mozus tautai darīja, un viņam jautāja: „Kas tas ir, ko tu dari tautai? Kādēļ tu sēdi atsevišķi, un tauta stāv tavā priekšā no rīta līdz vakaram?“
15 Un Mozus atbildēja savam sievas tēvam: „Tauta nāk pie manis vaicāt Dieva prātu.
16 Jo, ja viņiem ir kāda lieta, tad tie nāk pie manis, un es tad spriežu tiesu viņu starpā, darīdams tiem zināmus Dieva likumus un Viņa bauslības noteikumus.“
17 Un Mozus sievas tēvs viņam sacīja: „Tā nav labi, kā tu to dari!
18 Tu pagursi un tavi ļaudis, kas ir te pie tevis, jo pārāk grūts ir tev šis pienākums, tu nevari to izpildīt viens pats.
19 Tagad paklausi mani, es tev došu padomu, un Dievs būs ar tevi. Nostājies tu tautas labad Dieva priekšā un nes tās lietas Dieva priekšā.
20 Māci tiem likumus un noteikumus un dari tiem zināmu to ceļu, kas tiem jāiet, un tos darbus, kādi tiem jādara.
21 Bet tu izraugi sev no visas tautas spējīgus vīrus, kas bīstas Dievu, uzticamus vīrus, kas nav uzpērkami, un iecel tos par priekšniekiem pār tūkstošiem, pār simtiem, pār piecdesmitiem un pār desmitiem.
22 Un lai tie tiesā ļaudis jebkurā laikā, bet lai būtu tā, ka tie katru smagāku! lietu nodotu tev, bet katru mazāku lietu izspriestu paši, tā atvieglodami tevi un palīdzēdami tev nest tavu nastu.
23 Ja tu tā darīsi un Dievs tev tā pavēlēs, tad tu arī varēsi pats pastāvēt, un visi ļaudis ies mājās apmierināti.“
24 Un Mozus paklausīja sava sievas tēva balsij un darīja visu, ko tas tam bija sacījis.
25 Viņš izraudzīja uzticamus vīrus no visa Israēla un iecēla tos tautai par priekšniekiem: pār tūkstošiem, simtiem, piecdesmitiem un desmitiem.
26 Un viņi sprieda tiesu kurā katrā laikā, un visas grūtās lietas tie cēla priekšā Mozum, bet visas sīkās lietas tie iztiesāja paši.
27 Pēc tam Mozus atlaida savu sievas tēvu, un tas atgriezās savā zemē.
