Jethro Visits Moses

18 Now Jethro,j the priest of Midiank and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.l

2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,m his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons.n One son was named Gershom,a for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;o 4 and the other was named Eliezer,b p for he said, “My father’s God was my helper;q he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountainr of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed downs and kissedt him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardshipsu they had met along the way and how the Lord had savedv them.

9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good thingsw the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord,x who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,y for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”z 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,a brought a burnt offeringb and other sacrificesc to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meald with Moses’ father-in-law in the presencee of God.

13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.f 16 Whenever they have a dispute,g it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”h

17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.i 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.j You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputesk to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions,l and show them the way they are to livem and how they are to behave.n 21 But select capable meno from all the people—men who fearp God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gainq—and appoint them as officialsr over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult cases to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will sharet it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leadersu of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.v 26 They served as judgesw for the people at all times. The difficult casesx they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.y

27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.z