Exodus 18:7–16

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down^s and kissed^t him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. ⁸Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships^u they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved^v them.

⁹Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things^w the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰He 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. ¹¹Now 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 offering^b and other sacrifices^c to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal^d with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence^e of God.

¹³The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴When 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?”

¹⁵Moses 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