Chapter 18
1
Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, for the LORD had brought Israel out from Egypt.
2
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away.
3
And his two sons, which he had named: the name of the one was Gershom, for he said, “I was a stranger in a foreign land.”
4
The name of the one was Eliezer, for the God of my father was in his help, and he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife, to the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mountain of God.
6
He said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you, and your wife and her two sons with her."
7
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked each other about their welfare, and they entered the tent.
8
Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the distress that he found them in on the way, and how the LORD had rescued them.
9
And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the LORD had done for Israel, in that he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt.
10
And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt."
11
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, for in the matter in which they acted presumptuously over them.
12
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron came and all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
13
And it was on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.
14
Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people and said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you from morning till evening?"
15
And Moses said to his father-in-law, "When the people come to me to seek God."
16
For when a matter comes to me, I judge between a man and his fellow and make known the statutes of God and his Torah.
17
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good."
18
You will surely wear yourself out, both you and this people who are with you—for the matter is too heavy for you. You will not be able to do it alone.
19
Now listen to my voice. I will advise you, and God will be with you. You stand before God for the people, and you bring their cases to God.
20
You shall warn them about the statutes and the Torah, and you shall make known to them the way in which they shall walk and the deed that they shall do.
21
Moreover, you shall select from all the people men of valor, God-fearers, men of truth, haters of greed, and set them over the people as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.
22
They will judge the people at all times. Every great matter they will bring to you, and every small matter they will judge. In this way it will be light from upon you, and they will bear the burden for you.
23
If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will come to their place in peace.
24
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he said.
25
Moses chose men of valor from all Israel and appointed them heads over the people: chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.
26
And they judged the people at all times. The hard matters they would bring to Moses, and every small matter they would judge themselves.
27
And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he went to his land.