设立官长

　　摩西的岳父，米甸祭司叶特罗，听到了上帝领以色列人出埃及时为摩西和他的人民所做的事，就来见摩西，并把摩西留在娘家的妻子西坡拉和两个儿子带来。两个儿子一个叫革舜，因为摩西说过：“我是寄居外地的陌生人”；另一个叫以利以谢，因为摩西说过：“我父亲的上帝帮助我，拯救我，使我没有被埃及王杀掉。”

　　摩西出去迎接他，跟他行礼，并亲他。他们彼此问安后就进到摩西的帐棚。摩西把耶和华神为拯救以色列人、对埃及王和他人民所行的一切事告诉叶特罗。他又告诉岳父有关以色列人沿途遭遇的困难和耶和华神怎样拯救了他们的事。

　　叶特罗听了非常高兴。他说：“赞美耶和华神，他从埃及王和他人民的手里拯救你们出来！赞美耶和华神，他从奴役中把你们解放出来！现在我知道耶和华神比所有的神明伟大；因为当埃及人那样虐待以色列人时，他成就了这一切。”

　　于是叶特罗向上帝献上烧化祭和其他祭物；亚伦和其他以色列的领袖都来跟他一起吃这神圣的筵席，作为敬拜的礼仪。

　　第二天，摩西在人民中处理纷争，从早到晚十分忙碌。

　　叶特罗看见了这情形，对摩西说：“你到底在为人民做些什么呢？为什么让这许多人从早到晚站在这里等着你的指示，由你自己一个人处理呢？”

　　摩西回答：“我必须这样做，因为人民到我这里来求问上帝的旨意。凡有两人发生争执，就来找我解决；我得替他们判断谁是谁非，并把上帝的律例和指示告诉他们。”

　　叶特罗说：“你的做法不好，你和你的同胞都会累坏了。你不能一个人做这许多事。我现在给你一些建议，愿上帝与你同在。你代表人民，把他们的纠纷带到上帝面前，向他请示是对的。不过，你应该把上帝的律例和指示教导他们，解释给他们听，使他们知道该怎样处世为人。除此以外，你还要指派一些能干的人作以色列人的领袖：每一千人要有一个领袖，然后每一百人、五十人、十人都应该有领袖。他们必须是敬畏上帝、可靠、不接受贿赂的人。你要指派这种人随时为人民判断案件。他们可以把重要的案件带到你面前，小纠纷就自行处理。这样，他们可以分担你的责任，使你的担子轻省些。如果你这样做，上帝也这样吩咐你做，你就不至于筋疲力竭，而人民的纠纷也可以早些解决。”

　　摩西接受了叶特罗的建议，在以色列人中选拔能干的人，作为千人、百人、五十人，和十人的领袖，就是千夫长、百夫长、五十夫长、十夫长，他们被指派随时为人民判断案件；遇有疑难的案件，他们请示摩西，小纠纷就自行处理。

　　（参圣经出埃及记第18章）

Choose Officials

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land"; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly."

Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.

When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

（NIV Exodus 18）