Exodus 18

Jethro’s Visit

18Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, ^jheard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

²Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, ^kMoses’ wife, after he had sent her back, ³along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”) ^lm4and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword”). ⁿ

⁵Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. ^o6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, ^pand then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been ^qand went into the tent. ⁸Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord delivered them. ^r

⁹Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when He rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. ¹⁰“Praise the Lord,” ^sJethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians. ¹¹Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because He did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.” ^tu

¹²Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in God’s presence.

¹³The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵Moses replied 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 make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.” ^v

¹⁷“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. ¹⁸“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. ^w19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. ²⁰Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. ^x21But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. ^yPlace them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ^z22They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, ^aand they will bear it with you. ^b23If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” ^c

²⁴Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²⁶They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

²⁷Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land. ^d