 1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, 2 then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, 3 and her two sons, of which the name of one was Gershom for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land. 4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for the God of my father, my help, delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. 5 Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he camped at the mount 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 to meet his father in law, bowed down to him, and kissed him. They asked each other about their welfare and then they went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness that the Lord had done to Israel, whom He had delivered from the Egyptians. 10 Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods. For in the thing in which they were proved against them. 12 Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God. 13 On the next day Moses sat to judge the people. And the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening. 14 When Moses' father in law saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone by yourself and all the people stand by you from morning to evening? 15 Moses said to his father in law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a matter, they come to me and I judge between one and another and I make known the statutes of God and His laws. 17 Moses' father in law said to him, The thing that you do is not good. 18 You will surely wear away, both you and these people with you. For this is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it alone. 19 Now listen to my voice. I will give you counsel and God will be with you. Be for the people before God and bring the disputes+ to Him. 20 You shall teach them ordinances and laws and make them know the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. 21 You shall look out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds rulers of fifties and rulers of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times, and bring every great matter to you. But they shall judge every small matter to make it easier for you. They must bear the burden with you. 23 If you will do this and God command you, then you will be able to endure and all these people will also go to their place in peace. 24 Moses listened to the voice of his father in law and did all that he said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, rulers over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. 26 They judged the people at all times and brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27 Moses let his father in law depart and he went his way into his own land.
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