rd

Exodus 18

1 Iethró commeth to ſe Moſés his ſonne in lawe 8 Moſés telleth him of the wonders of Egypt 9 Iethró reioyceth and offreth ſacrifice to God. 24 Moſés obeyeth his counſel in appointing officers
1.WHen Iethró the * Prieſt of Midián Moſés father in lawe heard all that God had done for Moſés, and for Iſraél his people, & how the Lord had broght Iſraél out of Egypt,
2.Then Iethró the father in lawe of Moſés toke Zipporáh Moſés wife, (after he had a ſent her away)
3.And her two ſonnes, (whereof ye one was called Gerſhóm: for he ſaid, I haue bene an aliant in a ſtrange land:
4.And the name of the other was Eliézer: for the God of my father, ſaid he, was mine helpe, and deliuered me from the ſworde of Pharaóh)
5.And Iethró Moſés father in lawe came with his two ſonnes, & his wife vnto Moſés into the wildernes, where he camped by the b mount of God.
6.And he c ſaid to Moſés, I thy father in lawe Iethró am come to thee, & thy wife and her two ſonnes with her.
7.¶ And Moſés wēt out to mete his father in lawe, and did obeiſance and kiſſed him, and eche asked other of his " welfare. and they came into the tent.
8.Then Moſés tolde his father in law all that the Lord had done vnto Pharaóh, & to the Egyptians for Iſraels ſake, and all the trauaile that had come vnto them by the way, and how the Lord deliuered thé.
9.And Iethró reioyced at all the goodnes, which the Lord had ſhewed to Iſraél, and becauſe he had deliuered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10.Therefore Iethró ſaid, d Bleſſed be the Lord who hathe deliuered you out of the ha̅d of yͤ Egyptians, and out of yͤ hand of Pharaóh: who hathe alſo deliuered the people from vnder the hand of the Egyptiás.
11.Now I knowe that the Lord is greater then all the gods: * for as they haue dealt proudly with them, ſo are they e recompenſed.
12.Then Iethró Moſés father in law toke burnt offringes and ſacrifices to offre vnto God. And Aarón and all the Elders of Iſraél came to eat bread with Moſés father in law f before God.
13.¶ Now on the morowe, when Moſés ſate to iudge the people, the people ſtode aboute Moſés from morning vnto euen.
14.And when Moſés father in lawe ſawe all that he did to the people, he ſaid, What is this that thou doeſt to the people? why ſitteſt thou thy ſelfe alone, and all the people ſtand about thee from morning vnto euen?
15.And Moſés ſaid vnto his father in lawe, Becauſe the people come vnto me to ſeke g God.
16.Whe̅ they haue a matter, they come vnto me, and I iudge betwene one and an other, and declare the ordinances of God, and his lawes.
17.But Moſés father in law ſaid vnto him, The thing, which thou doeſt, is not wel.
18.Thou bothe " wearieſt thy ſelfe greatly, & this people that is w̅ thee: for the thing is to heauie for thee: thou art not able to do it thy ſelfe alone.
19.* Heare now my " voyce, (I wil giue thee counſel, and God ſhalbe with thee) be thou for the people to h Godwarde, & reporte thou the cauſes vnto God,
20.And admoniſh them of the ordinances, and of the lawes, & ſhewe them the way, wherein they muſt walke, & the worke yͤ they muſt do.
21.Moreouer prouide thou among all the people i men of courage, fearing God, men dealing truely, hating couetouſnes: and appoint ſuche ouer them to be rulers ouer thouſandes, rulers ouer hundreths, rulers ouer fifties, and rulers ouer tens.
22.And let them iudge the people at all ſeaſons: but euerie great matter let the̅ bring vnto thee, & let them iudge all ſmale cauſes: ſo ſhal it be eaſier for thee, when they ſhal beare the burden with thee.
23.If thou do this thing, (and God ſo com-māde thee) bothe thou ſhalt be able to endure, & all this people ſhal alſo go quietly to their place.
24.So Moſés k obeied yͤ voyce of his father in lawe, and did all that he had ſaid:
25.And Moſés choſe men of courage out of all Iſraél, and made them heades ouer the people, rulers ouer thouſandes, rulers ouer hundreths, rulers ouer fifties, and rulers ouer tens.
26.And they iudged the people at all ſeaſons, but they broght the hard cauſes vnto Moſés: for they iudged all ſmale matters them ſelues.
27.Afterward Moſés l let his father in lawe departe, and he went into his contrey.

Notes

1:*.
Chap. 2,16.
2:a.
It may ſeme ye he ſent her backe to her father for her impacience, leſt ſhe ſhulde be a let to his vocati-on, wc was ſo dangerous, chap 4,25
5:b.
Horeb is called ye moūt of God, becauſe God wroght anie miracles there
6:c.
That is, he ſent meſſengers to ſay vn-to him
7:".
Ebr. of peace.
10:d.
Wherby it is euident that he worſhiped the true God, and therefore Moſés refuſed not to mary his daughter.
11:*.
Chap. 1.10. alſo ver. 16, 22. chap. 5.7. chap. 14. 18.
11:e.
For they, yͤ drowned the children of yͤ Iſraelites, periſhed them ſelues by water.
12:f.
They are in yͤ place, where the ſacrifice was offred: for parte was burnt and the reſt eaten.
15:g.
That is, to knowe Gods wil, and to haue iuſtice executed.
18:".
Ebr. thou wilt faint and fall.
19:*.
Deu. 1, 9.
19:".
Or, counſel.
19:h.
Iudge thou an harde cauſes, which cannot be decided but by conſultig with God.
21:i.
What maner of men oght to be choſen to beare office.
24:k.
Godlie cou̅ſel oght euer to be obeied, thogh it come of our inferiors for to ſuche God ofte times giueth wiſdome to humble them, that are exalted.
27:l.
Read the occaſion, Numb. 10, 29.