18:1 1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that 2 the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 3
18:2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah after he had sent her back, 18:3 and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for Moses 4 had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”), 18:4 and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, 5 “The God of my father has been my help 6 and delivered 7 me from the sword of Pharaoh”).
18:5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ 8 sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camping by 9 the mountain of God. 10 18:6 He said 11 to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons with her.” 18:7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; 12 they each asked about the other’s welfare, and then they went into the tent. 18:8 Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel’s sake, and all the hardship 13 that had come on them 14 along the way, and how 15 the Lord had delivered them.
18:9 Jethro rejoiced 16 because of all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of Egypt. 18:10 Jethro said, “Blessed 17 be the Lord who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from the Egyptians’ control! 18 18:11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them.” 19 18:12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought 20 a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, 21 and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat food 22 with the father-in-law of Moses before God.
18:13 On the next day 23 Moses sat to judge 24 the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 18:14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this 25 that you are doing for the people? 26 Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
18:15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire 27 of God. 18:16 When they have a dispute, 28 it comes to me and I decide 29 between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the decrees of God and his laws.” 30
18:17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What 31 you are doing is not good! 18:18 You will surely wear out, 32 both you and these people who are with you, for this is too 33 heavy a burden 34 for you; you are not able to do it by yourself. 18:19 Now listen to me, 35 I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, 36 and you bring 37 their disputes 38 to God; 18:20 warn 39 them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk 40 and the work they must do. 41 18:21 But you choose 42 from the people capable men, 43 God-fearing, 44 men of truth, 45 those who hate bribes, 46 and put them over the people 47 as rulers 48 of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 18:22 They will judge 49 the people under normal circumstances, 50 and every difficult case 51 they will bring to you, but every small case 52 they themselves will judge, so that 53 you may make it easier for yourself, 54 and they will bear the burden 55 with you. 18:23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, 56 then you will be able 57 to endure, 58 and all these people 59 will be able to go 60 home 61 satisfied.” 62