EXODUS 18

Then Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how Yehowah had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro the father-in-law of Moses had taken back Zipporah the wife of Moses, after he had sent her away, 3 together with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for he said, I have been a settler in a foreign land), 4 and the other named Eliezer* (for he said, The God of my father was my help, and rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh). 5 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, brought the sons and the wife of Moses to where he had camped in the desert at the mountain of God. 6 And he said to Moses, I am Jethro, your father-in-law, and I have come to you with your wife and her two sons with her. 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed low and kissed him; and they asked each other about their welfare; and they went into the tent. 8 Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that Yehowah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the road, and how Yehowah had rescued them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which Yehowah had done to Israel, in that he had rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians. * That is My God is a help (see also the footnote at Exodus 2:22)

10 And Jethro said, Blessed be Yehowah, who has rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of Pharaoh, and who has rescued the people from under the hands of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that Yehowah is greater than all gods, even though they acted arrogantly against you.* 12 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread before God with the father-in-law of Moses. * lit them

13 Then on the next day Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning till evening. 14 And when the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, What is this which you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, with all the people standing before you from morning till evening? 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to enquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour; and I make known the statutes and laws of God. 17 Then the father-in-law of Moses said to him, What you are doing is not good. 18 You will wear yourselves out, both you and this people with you, for the responsibility is too heavy for you; you cannot bear it on your own. 19 Now listen to what I say; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You must represent the people before God, and bring their disputes to God. 20 And you must teach them the statutes and laws, and make them know the way in which they should walk and the works which they should do. 21 But you must choose from all the people men of ability who fear God, men of truth, who hate bribery; and you must appoint them as chiefs over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. And let them bring every important matter to you, but every small matter they shall judge for themselves; so you will shift the burden from yourself, and they will bear it with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and also this people will go to their place in peace.

24 And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he said. 25 And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and made them heads over the people, chiefs over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged for themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law go away; and he went his way to his own land.