Exodus 18
Open in the reader1Now Drawn-Out’ father-in-law His-Abundance, the priest of Strife, heard about all that God had done for Drawn-Out and His people Strives-with-God, and how He-Who-Is had brought Strives-with-God out of Two-Straits.
2After Drawn-Out had sent back his wife Little-Bird, his father-in-law His-Abundance had received her,
3along with her two sons. One son was named Sojourner-There, for Drawn-Out had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
4The other son was named My-God-Is-Help, for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5Drawn-Out’ father-in-law His-Abundance, along with Drawn-Out’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
6He sent word to Drawn-Out, “I, your father-in-law His-Abundance, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7So Drawn-Out went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.
8Then Drawn-Out recounted to his father-in-law all that He-Who-Is had done to Pharaoh and the Two-Straitsians for Strives-with-God’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how He-Who-Is had delivered them.
9And His-Abundance rejoiced over all the good things He-Who-Is had done for Strives-with-God, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Two-Straitsians.
10His-Abundance declared, “Blessed be He-Who-Is, who has delivered you from the hand of the Two-Straitsians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Two-Straitsians.
11Now I know that He-Who-Is is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”
12Then Drawn-Out’ father-in-law His-Abundance brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Strives-with-God to eat bread with Drawn-Out’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
13The next day Drawn-Out took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
14When his father-in-law saw all that Drawn-Out was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
15“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Drawn-Out replied.
16“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and teachings of God.”
17But Drawn-Out’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
18Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
20Teach them the statutes and teachings, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.
21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.
23If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
24Drawn-Out listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
25So Drawn-Out chose capable men from all Strives-with-God and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Drawn-Out, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
27Then Drawn-Out sent his father-in-law on his way, and His-Abundance returned to his own land.