1Det varede ikke længe, før Jetro, Moses’ svigerfar, der var præst i Midjan, hørte om de fantastiske mirakler, Gud havde gjort, da han førte sit folk, israelitterne, ud af Egypten.2Moses havde på et tidligere tidspunkt sendt sin kone Zippora og sine to sønner tilbage til Jetro.3Moses’ ældste søn fik navnet Gershom,[1] for han sagde: „Jeg har levet som fremmed i udlandet.”4Hans anden søn fik navnet Eliezer,[2] for han sagde: „Mine forfædres Gud er blevet min hjælper ved at redde mig ud af Faraos kløer.”5Jetro var nu på vej sammen med Zippora og de to sønner til Moses i ørkenen, hvor han havde slået lejr ved Guds bjerg.[3]6Han sendte en besked i forvejen til Moses: „Jeg, din svigerfar Jetro, er på vej med din kone og dine to sønner.”7Moses gik straks sin svigerfar i møde, bøjede sig ærbødigt og kyssede ham på kinden til velkomst. Efter at have spurgt til hinandens helbred gik de ind i Moses’ telt for at tale sammen.8Moses fortalte sin svigerfar om alle de undere, Herren havde gjort for at redde israelitterne fra Farao og egypterne. Han fortalte også om de problemer, der havde været undervejs, og om, hvordan Herren havde hjulpet folket igennem det alt sammen.9Jetro var begejstret over at høre, hvad Herren havde gjort for Israels folk, og hvordan han havde ført dem ud af Egypten.10„Lovet være Jahve,” sagde Jetro, „for han har reddet jer fra egypterne og Farao—ja, han har virkelig befriet jer fra slaveriet i Egypten.11Nu ser jeg, at Jahve er større end nogen anden gud, for han har befriet sit folk fra de stolte og brutale egyptere.”12Så ofrede Jetro brændofre og andre ofre til Gud, og Aron og Israels øvrige ledere kom for at spise offermåltid sammen med ham.13Næste dag satte Moses sig som sædvanlig for at høre på folks klager og løse deres indbyrdes konflikter. De stod i kø omkring ham fra morgen til aften.14Da hans svigerfar så, hvor tidkrævende et arbejde det var, sagde han: „Sikke meget arbejde du har med folket. Hvorfor er du alene om at klare den store opgave? Folk står jo i kø hele dagen for at få hjælp.”15„Folket kommer til mig i håb om at få Guds svar på deres problemer,” forklarede Moses,16„og når de har en retssag, er jeg deres dommer. Det er jo min opgave at undervise dem om Guds forordninger og instruktioner.”17„Det er ikke en god måde at gøre det på,” svarede Jetro.18„Både du selv og folket bliver jo ganske udmattede. Moses, den opgave er for tung en byrde, hvis du forsøger at gøre alting selv.19Lyt til mit råd—så vil Gud være med dig. Du skal fortsat selv træde frem for Gud på folkets vegne og spørge ham til råds i de vanskelige sager.20Og du skal også undervise folket om hans forordninger og instruktioner og lære dem principperne for gudsfrygt, og hvordan de bør leve.21Men du bliver nødt til at finde nogle kvalificerede, ærlige og gudfrygtige mænd, der ikke vil tage imod bestikkelse. Dem skal du indsætte som dommere og rådgivere, nogle med ansvar for 1000 mennesker, nogle med ansvar for 100 mennesker, og andre med ansvar for 50 eller ti personer.22Overlad så ansvaret for lov og orden til dem. Hvis en sag er kompliceret eller særlig betydningsfuld, kan de henvende sig til dig. Men alle mindre sager kan de selv tage sig af. Det vil betyde en stor aflastning for dig, hvis du på den måde uddelegerer nogle af dine ansvarsfulde opgaver til andre.23Hvis du følger mit råd, og hvis det er i overensstemmelse med Guds vilje, vil du undgå stress, og folket kan hurtigere få deres sager behandlet og derfor gå tilfredse hjem.”24Moses fulgte sin svigerfars råd.25Han udvalgte kvalificerede mænd fra alle de 12 stammer og udnævnte dem til dommere og ledere for henholdsvis 1000, 100, 50 og 10 personer.26Disse mænd stod altid til rådighed, så retfærdigheden kunne ske fyldest. Alle mindre sager tog de sig af, og kun de mere komplicerede blev overladt til Moses.27Kort efter tog Moses afsked med sin svigerfar, som vendte tilbage til sit land.
1Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. (2.Mos 2,16; 2.Mos 2,18; 2.Mos 18,12)2Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home,3along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner[1] in a foreign land”), (2.Mos 2,22; 2.Mos 4,20; Salm 39,12; Ap G 7,29; Heb 11,13)4and the name of the other, Eliezer[2] (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”).5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. (2.Mos 3,1)6And when he sent word to Moses, “I,[3] your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,”7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. (1.Mos 14,17; 1.Mos 18,2; 1.Mos 19,1; 1.Mos 29,13; 1.Mos 33,4; 2.Sam 19,39; 1.Kong 2,19)8Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. (Neh 9,9; Salm 78,12; Salm 78,42; Salm 106,7)9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.10Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. (1.Mos 14,20; 2.Sam 18,28; Luk 1,68)11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.”[4] (1.Krøn 16,25; 2.Krøn 2,5; Neh 9,10; Salm 95,3; Salm 97,9; Salm 119,21; Salm 135,5; Dan 4,37; Luk 1,51)12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. (1.Mos 31,54; 2.Mos 24,11; 5.Mos 12,7; 5.Mos 14,26; 1.Krøn 29,22)13The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?”15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; (3.Mos 24,12; 4.Mos 15,34)16when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” (2.Mos 24,14; 5.Mos 4,5; 5.Mos 5,1; 5.Mos 17,8; 2.Sam 15,2; 1.Kor 6,1)17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.18You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. (4.Mos 11,14; 4.Mos 11,17; 5.Mos 1,9; 5.Mos 1,12)19Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, (2.Mos 4,16; 2.Mos 20,19; 4.Mos 27,5; 5.Mos 5,5)20and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. (5.Mos 1,18; Salm 143,8)21Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. (5.Mos 1,15; 5.Mos 16,18; 2.Krøn 19,5; Ap G 6,3)22And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. (2.Mos 18,26; 3.Mos 24,11; 4.Mos 11,17; 4.Mos 15,33; 4.Mos 27,2; 4.Mos 36,1; 5.Mos 1,17; 5.Mos 17,8)23If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” (2.Mos 18,18)24So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. (5.Mos 1,15)26And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. (2.Mos 18,22)27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country. (4.Mos 10,29)