Exodus 18:1–12

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.