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 Jetrus, Midiāna priesteris, Mozus sievastēvs, dzirdēja visu, ko Dievs Mozum un Israēlam, Savai tautai, bija darījis, kā Tas Kungs Israēlu bija izvedis no Ēģiptes. 2 Tad Jetrus, Mozus sievastēvs, paņēma Ciporu, Mozus sievu, pēc tam kad tas viņu bija atsūtījis atpakaļ, 3 un divi tās dēlus. Tā viena vārds bija Geršoms, jo viņš bija sacījis: es esmu svešinieks bijis svešā zemē. 4 Bet otra vārds bija Ēliēzers , jo viņš bija sacījis: mana tēva Dievs ir bijis mans palīgs un mani ir izglābis no faraona zobena. 5 Un Jetrus, Mozus sievastēvs, viņa dēli un viņa sieva nāca pie Mozus tuksnesī, kur viņš bija uzcēlis nometni pie Dieva kalna. 6 Un viņš sacīja Mozum: "Es, Jetrus, tavs sievastēvs, nāku pie tevis un tava sieva un līdz ar viņu divi tās dēli." 7 Un Mozus izgāja savam sievastēvam pretim un noliecās viņa priekšā, un noskūpstīja to, un viņi jautāja viens otram, kā klājas, un tad iegāja teltī. 8 Un Mozus izstāstīja savam sievastēvam visu, ko Tas Kungs faraonam un ēģiptiešiem Israēla labā bija darījis, un par visām grūtībām, ar kādām 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 Jetrus, Mozus sievastēvs, upurēja dedzināmo un kaujamo upuri Dievam, un Ārons un visi Israēla vecaji nāca ēst maizi ar Mozus sievastēvu Dieva priekšā. 13 Nākamajā dienā Mozus apsēdās, lai tiesātu ļaudis; un ļaudis stāvēja Mozus priekšā no rīta līdz vakaram. 14 Un Mozus sievastēvs noskatījās visu, ko Mozus tautai darīja, un viņš sacīja: "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 sievastēvam: "Tauta nāk pie manis vaicāt Dieva prātu. 16 Jo, ja viņiem ir kāda lieta, tad tie nāk pie manis, un es tad tiesāju viņu starpā un daru tiem zināmus Dieva likumus un Viņa bauslību." 17 Un Mozus sievastēvs viņam sacīja: "Tā nav labi, kā tu to dari! 18 Tu gurtin pagursi un tavi ļaudis, kas pie tevis, jo pārāk grūts tev ir šis pienākums, tu nespēsi 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 bauslību un dari tiem zināmu to ceļu, kas tiem jāiet, un tos darbus, kas tiem jādara. 21 Bet tu izraugi sev no visas tautas spējīgus vīrus, kas bīstas Dieva, taisnīgus 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 lielāku lietu nodotu tev, bet katru mazāku lietu iztiesā paši; tā tev būs vieglāk, un viņi palīdzēs tev nest tavu nastu. 23 Ja tu tā darīsi un Dievs tev tā pavēlēs, tad tu varēsi pastāvēt, un arī visi šie ļaudis ies savā vietā ar mieru." 24 Un Mozus paklausīja sava sievastēva balsij un darīja visu, ko tas bija sacījis. 25 Viņš izraudzīja spējīgus vīrus no visa Israēla un iecēla tos tautai par priekšniekiem pār tūkstošiem, simtiem, piecdesmitiem un desmitiem. 26 Un viņi sprieda tiesu jebkurā laikā, un visas grūtās lietas tie cēla priekšā Mozum, bet visas mazās lietas iztiesāja paši. 27 Tad Mozus atlaida savu sievastēvu, un tas atgriezās savā zemē.
