1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent away,
3along with her two sons — of whom the name of one was Gershom, for he had said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”
4and the name of the other was Eliezer, for “the God of my father was my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses, in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.
6And he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons with her.”
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him, and each asked after the other’s welfare; then they came into the tent.
8Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the way, and how Yahweh had delivered them.
9And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, in that he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt.
10And Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.
11Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, for in the very matter in which they acted arrogantly, he was over them.”
12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13And it happened on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.
14When 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 alone, while all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and his instructions.”
17And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.
18You will surely wear yourself out, both you and this people who are with you, for the matter is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
19Now listen to my voice; I will give you counsel, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the matters to God.
20And warn them concerning the statutes and the instructions, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the deeds that they are to do.
21And you shall look out from all the people for capable men, men who fear God, men of truth who hate unjust gain, and set them over them as officials of thousands, officials of hundreds, officials of fifties, and officials of tens.
22And they shall judge the people at all times: every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So lighten it for yourself, and let them bear it with you.
23If you do this thing, and God commands you, then you will be able to endure, and also all this people will come to their place in peace.”
24So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
25And Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, officials of thousands, officials of hundreds, officials of fifties, and officials of tens.
26And they judged the people at all times: the hard matter they would bring to Moses, but every small matter they would judge themselves.
27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went off to his own land.
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