Exodus 18

¹Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, ³and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land: ⁴and 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. ⁵And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God: ⁶and he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. ⁷And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him: and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. ⁸And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how Jehovah delivered them. ⁹And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Jehovah had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; yea, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly against them. ¹²And 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.

¹³And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening. ¹⁴And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even? ¹⁵And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: ¹⁶when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. ¹⁷And Moses’ father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. ¹⁸Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. ¹⁹Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God: ²⁰and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. ²¹Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: ²²and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. ²³If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace. ²⁴So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. ²⁵And 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. ²⁶And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. ²⁷And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.