1Jethro, priest of Midian and relative of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, for the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.2Jethro, relative of Moses, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after she had been sent away,3together with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, because Moses had said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."4The name of the other was Eliezer, because, he said, "The God of my father was my helper, and he delivered me from Pharaoh's sword."5Jethro, relative of Moses, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.6He said to Moses, "I, your relative Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."7Moses went out to meet his relative, bowed down, and kissed him; each man asked his neighbor about peace, and they came into the tent.8Moses recounted to his relative all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how the LORD had rescued them.9Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the LORD had done for Israel by rescuing them from the hand of Egypt.10Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt."11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, for in the matter in which they acted presumptuously against them, he was above them.12Jethro, relative of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat food with Moses' relative before the face of God.13The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.14Moses' relative saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone while all the people stand upon you from morning until evening?"15Moses said to his relative, "Because the people come to me to seek God."16"Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known the statutes of God and his instructions."17Moses' relative said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.18You will surely wither, you will wither, both you and this people who are with you, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it alone.19Now hear my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people opposite God, and you bring the words to God.20Warn them about the statutes and the instructions, and teach them the way they are to walk and the work they are to do.21And you will see from all the people men of strength, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of unjust gain, and you will set them over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.22They will judge the people at all times, and every great word they will bring to you, but every small word they will judge; they will lighten it for you, and they will bear with you.23If you do this and God so commands you, you will be able to endure, and all these people will also go to their places in peace."24Moses heard the voice of his relative and did all that he said.25Moses chose men of strength from all Israel and set them as heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.26They judged the people at all times; the difficult cases they brought to Moses, but every minor case they decided themselves.27Moses sent his relative away, and he went to his own land.