Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 18

24Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.   כדוַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע משֶׁ֖ה לְק֣וֹל חֹֽתְנ֑וֹ וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמָֽר:
25Moses chose well-established men from among all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people: leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens.   כהוַיִּבְחַ֨ר משֶׁ֤ה אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֨יִל֙ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם רָאשִׁ֖ים עַל־הָעָ֑ם שָׂרֵ֤י אֲלָפִים֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֔וֹת שָׂרֵ֥י חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֥י עֲשָׂרֹֽת:
26They judged the people at all times: every difficult case they would bring to Moses, and every minor case they would judge themselves.   כווְשָֽׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת אֶת־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַקָּשֶׁה֙ יְבִיא֣וּן אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה וְכָל־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַקָּטֹ֖ן יִשְׁפּוּט֥וּ הֵֽם:
וְשָֽׁפְטוּ - Onkelos translates this here as וְדָיְנִין יָת עַמָּא – “and they would judge the people.”   וְשָֽׁפְטוּ.  וְדָיְנִין יָת עַמָּא:
יְבִיאוּן - Onkelos translates this as מַיְתִין “they would bring.”   יְבִיאוּן.  מָיְתִין:
יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵֽם - They would judge themselves. The word יִשְׁפּוּטוּ is the same as יִשְׁפְּטוּ; and similarly לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי “do not pass by” 1 is the same as לֹא תַעַבְרִי. Onkelos’ translation of יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵם is דָּיְנִין אִנּוּן “they were judging.” The phrases in the verse above express a command (future tense), and they are therefore translated by Onkelos respectively as וִידוּנוּן “and they will judge,” יַיְתוּן “they will bring,” and יְדוּנוּן “they will judge,” whereas the phrases here refer to the performance of that instruction.   יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵֽם.  כְּמוֹ יִשְׁפְּטוּ, וְכֵן "לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי" (רות ב'), כְּמוֹ לֹא תַעַבְרִי, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ דָּיְנִין אִינּוּן; מִקְרָאוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הֵם לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, לְכָךְ מְתֻרְגָּמִין וִידוּנוּן, יַיְתוּן, יְדוּנוּן, וּמִקְרָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ לְשׁוֹן עֲשִׂיָּה:
27Moses sent off his father-in-law, and he set out on his way to his homeland.   כזוַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח משֶׁ֖ה אֶת־חֹֽתְנ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ ל֖וֹ אֶל־אַרְצֽוֹ:
וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ אֶל־אַרְצֽוֹ - And he set out on his way to his homeland - to convert the members of his family to Judaism.   וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ אֶל־אַרְצֽוֹ.  לְגַיֵּר בְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ (מכילתא):