Exodus · Chapter 18

[ edit] And whanne Jeþro, þe preeſt of Madian, coſyn to Moyſes, hadde herd alle þingis þat God dide to Moyſes, and to Yrael his puple, forþi þat þe Lord hadde ladde Yrael out of Egipte, he tok Sephoram, þe wijf of Moyſes, whom he ſente aȝen, and þe two ſones of hym, of whom oon was clepid Gerſan, ſeiynge þe fader, a comlyng Y was in an alien loond, þe toþer forſoþe Eliezar, God forſoþe, ſeiþ, myn helper of my fader, and he haþ delyuered me fro þe ſwerd of Pharao. Þanne cam Jetro, coſyne to Moyſes, and þe ſones of hym and his wijf, to Moyſes in deſert, where he hadde ſett tentis biſide þe hil of God.

And he ſente to Moyſes, ſeiynge, I, þi coſyn Jeþro, come to þee, and þi wijf, and þi two children wiþ hir. Þe which, goon out into þe aȝencomyng of his coſyn, lowtide, and kiſſide hym, and þei ſalutiden hem ſilf togidris wiþ peſible wordis. And whanne he was goon into þe tabernacle, Moyſes tolde to his coſyn alle þingis þat God hadde doon to Pharao, and to þe Egipciens, for Yrael, and al þe traueyle þat hadde fallun to hem in þe weye, fro þe which þe Lord hadde delyuered hem.

And Geþro was glad vpon alle þe goodis þat þe Lord dide to Yrael, forþi þat he hadde delyuered hym fro þe hoondis of þe Egipciens; and ſeiþ, Bliſſid be þe Lord God þat haþ delyuered ȝou fro þe hondes of þe Egipciens, and fro þe hoond of Pharao, þat haþ drawun out his puple fro þe hoond of Egipte; now I haue knowun for greet is þe Lord aboue alle goddis, forþi þat þei prowdli diden aȝens hem. Þanne Jeþro, þe coſyn to Moyſes, offrede to God brent ſacrifices, and ooſtes; and Aaron, and alle þe aldren of Yrael, camen, þat þei myȝten eete breed wiþ hym before God. Anoþer forſoþe day Moyſes ſat for to deme þe puple, þe which ſtood niȝ to Moyſes, fro morwe to euen.

Þe which þing whanne his coſyn hadde ſeen, þat is, alle þingis þat he dide in þe puple, ſeiþ, What is þis þat þow doſt in þe puple? whi alone ſittiſt þow, and al þe puple abidiþ fro morwetide vnto euen? To whom anſwerde Moyſes, To me comeþ þe puple, ſechynge þe ſentence of God; and whanne þere falliþ to hem eny ſtrijf, þei comen to me, þat Y deme betwix hem, þat Y ſhewe þe heeſtis of God, and his lawe. And he, Not good þing, he ſeiþ, þow doſt, þow art conſumyd wiþ foli labour, and þow and þi puple þat is wiþ þee; ouer þi ſtrengþes is þis doyng of cauſis, alone þat þow ſhalt not mowe ſuſteyne.

But here my wordis and counſels, and þe Lord ſhal be wiþ þee; be þow to þe puple in þes þingis þat perteynen to God, þat þow telle to hem þat ben ſeyd; and þow ſhewe to þe puple þe ſerymonyes, and þe ryte of heriyng, and þe weie bi þe whych þei owen to goon yn, and þe werk þat þei owen to doon. And puruey of al þe puple men myȝti, and dredinge God, in whom be trewþe, and þe whiche haten aueryſe; and ordeyne of hem rewlers vpon þowſaundes, and rewlers vpon hundreþes, and rewlers vpon fifti, and rewlers vpon ten, þat mowen deme þe puple al tyme; and what euer ſhal be more, telle þei it to þee, and deme þei þe laſſe þingis oonli, þat liȝter it be to þee, þe charge partid vnto oþere.

And if þow doſt þus, þow ſhalt fulfil þe comaundement of God, and his heeſtis þow may ſuſteyne; and al þis puple ſhal turne wiþ pees to her places. Þe whiche þingis herd, Moyſes dide alle þingis þat he meuyde to. And dowȝti men, choſun of al Yrael, he ordeyned hem princes of þe puple, rewlers vpon þowſandes, and rewlers vpon hundreþis, and rewlers upon fifti, and rewlers vpon ten, þat demeden þe puple al tyme; what euer forſoþe were harder, þei tolden to hym, oonli þe liȝter þingis demynge. And he lafte his coſyn, þe which turnyd aȝen, ȝede into his loond.