[1] Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that
God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought
Israel out of Egypt. [2] Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken
Zippo'rah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away, [3] and her two sons,
of whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a
sojourner in a foreign land"), [4] and the name of the other, Elie'zer (for
he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword
of Pharaoh"). [5] And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and
his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain
of God. [6] And when one told Moses, "Lo, your father-in-law Jethro is
coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her," [7] Moses went out
to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked
each other of their welfare, and went into the tent. [8] Then Moses told
his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the
Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in
the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. [9] And Jethro rejoiced for
all the good which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered
them out of the hand of the Egyptians. [10] And Jethro said, "Blessed be
the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of
the hand of Pharaoh. [11] Now I know that the LORD is greater than all
gods, because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians,
when they dealt arrogantly with them." [12] And Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron
came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law
before God. [13] On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the
people stood about Moses from morning till evening. [14] When Moses'
father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is
this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the
people stand about you from morning till evening?" [15] And Moses said to
his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God; [16]
when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and
his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions."
[17] Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
[18] You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is
too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. [19] Listen now to
my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent
the people before God, and bring their cases to God; [20] and you shall
teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in
which they must walk and what they must do. [21] Moreover choose able men
from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate
a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of
hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. [22] And let them judge the people at
all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter
they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier for you, and they will
bear the burden with you. [23] If you do this, and God so commands you,
then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their
place in peace." [24] So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law
and did all that he had said. [25] Moses chose able men out of all Israel,
and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of
fifties, and of tens. [26] And they judged the people at all times; hard
cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.
[27] Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his
own country.
