Exodus 18

Jethros Advice

1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His peoplethat the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.2 Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses wife, after he had sent her back,3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a stranger in a foreign land)4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (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 Now he had said to Moses, I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israels sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered 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, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.12 Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses father-in-law before God.13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.14 So when Moses father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until 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 difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.17 So Moses father-in-law said to him, The thing that you do is not good.18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Exodus 18

Jethro Visits Moses

1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;

4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.
9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”

12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.

14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God's will.

16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws.”
17 Moses' father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him.20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.