18:1 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.
18:2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
18:3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
18:4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
18:5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.
18:6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
18:7 So 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.
18:8 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.
18:9 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.
18:10 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.
18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”
18:12 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.
18:13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
18:14 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?”
18:15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
18:16 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.”
18:17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.
18:18 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.
18:19 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.
18:20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.
18:21 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.
18:22 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.
18:23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
18:24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
18:25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
18:26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
18:27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
18:1 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 Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.
18:2 And Jethro, Moses father-in-law, had taken Moses wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,
18:3 And her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom, for Moses said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land;
18:4 And the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
18:5 So Jethro, Moses father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God.
18:6 And he sent word to Moses: I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.
18:7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; and each asked the other s welfare, and they came into the tent.
18:8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how Jehovah delivered them.
18:9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which Jehovah had done to Israel, in that He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
18:10 And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
18:11 Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods, for it was demonstrated in this matter, when they dealt proudly against the people.
18:12 Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat food with Moses father-in-law before God.
18:13 And on the following day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
18:14 And when Moses father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?
18:15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
18:16 When they have a dispute, the matter comes to me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.
18:17 And Moses father-in-law said to him, The thing that you are doing is not good.
18:18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and this people who are with you, for the thing is too heavy for you; you cannot do it by yourself.
18:19 Listen now to my voice: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You stand for the people before God, and you bring the matters to God.
18:20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they should walk and the work that they should do.
18:21 You also should look for able men among all the people who fear God, men of truth, who hate unjust gain; and place them over them, as leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens.
18:22 And let them judge the people at all times; and let them bring every great matter to you, but every small matter let them judge themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
18:23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.
18:24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
18:25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people: leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens.
18:26 And they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
18:27 And Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.