Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,
and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been {Hebrew: ger.}a sojourner in a foreign land:
and the name of the other was {Hebrew: El, God, and ezer, help.}Eliezer; for he said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God:
and he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him: and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how Jehovah delivered them.
And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Jehovah had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; yea, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly against them.
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening.
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even?
And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:
when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God:
and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace.
So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Querverweise zu 2. Mose 18,1 2Mo 18,1
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah:The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad.
This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a {Greek: redeemer.}deliverer with the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.
And Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
And Moses and Aaron did so; as Jehovah commanded them, so did they.
And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a {Hebrew: tannin, any large reptile: and so in verse 10, 12.}serpent.
And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as Jehovah had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their {Or, secret arts}enchantments.
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
And Pharaoh's heart {Hebrew: was strong.}was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is {Hebrew: heavy.}stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go.
Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil.We have heard with our ears, O God,Our fathers have told us,What work thou didst in their days,In the days of old.
This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye {Hebrew: devoted.}utterly destroyed.
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb.
Thou art the God that doest wonders:Thou hast made known thy strength among the peoples.
And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles.
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
And Moses went and returned to {Hebrew: Jether.}Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people,The sons of Jacob and Joseph. [Selah
And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them.
and showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them, and didst get thee a name, as it is this day.
And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which Jehovah said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for Jehovah hath spoken good concerning Israel.
We will not hide them from their children,Telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah,And his strength, and his wondrous works that he hath done.
And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.
And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their pursuers thou didst cast into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters.
Now Heber {Hebrew: Kain See Numbers 24:22.}the Kenite had separated himself from {Hebrew: Kain See Numbers 24:22.}the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the {Or, father-in-law}brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the {Or, terebinth}oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done,His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many {Greek: myriads.}thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law:
Thou art the God that doest wonders:Thou hast made known thy strength among the peoples.
And he brought forth his people with joy,And his chosen with singing.
For I will not dare to speak of any {Greek: of those things which Christ wrought not through me.}things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the obedience of the {Greek: nations. Compare Matthew 4.15.}Gentiles, by word and deed,
Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people,The sons of Jacob and Joseph. [Selah
Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah,Or show forth all his praise?
He {Hebrew: levelled.}made a path for his anger;He spared not their soul from death,But gave {Or, their beasts to the murrain}their life over to the pestilence,
And smote all the first-born in Egypt,The {Hebrew: beginning. See Deuteronomy 21:17.}chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
But he led forth his own people like sheep,And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And he led them safely, so that they feared not;But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake,That he might make his mighty power to be known.
He smote also all the first-born in their land,The {Hebrew: beginning. See Deuteronomy 21:17.}chief of all their strength.
And he brought them forth with silver and gold;And there was {Or, none that stumbled}not one feeble person among his tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed;For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering,And fire to give light in the night.
They asked, and he brought quails,And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and waters gushed out;They ran in the dry places like a river.
And this city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure unto it.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake,That he might make his mighty power to be known.
He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up:So he led them through the depths, as through a {Or, pasture-land}wilderness.
And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them,And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
And the waters covered their adversaries;There was not one of them left.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
To him that smote Egypt in their first-born;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And brought out Israel from among them;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
But {Hebrew: shook off.}overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that led his people through the wilderness;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now {See marginal note on Matthew 11:5.}preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc;
{Or, Then his people remembered the ancient days of Moses &c.}Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the {Another reading is, shepherd.}shepherds of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit in the midst of them?
that caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? that divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
that led them through the depths, as a horse in the wilderness, so that they stumbled not?
and they glorified God in me.