Chapter 18, When Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all
that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had
brought Israel out of Egypt.
Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had
sent her back, and her two sons, of which the name of the one was Gershom.
For he said, I have been an alien in a strange land.
And the name of the other was Eliezer, for the God of my father, said he,
was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses
into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God.
And he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee,
and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance,
and kissed him.
And they asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh, and to the
Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the
way, and how the Lord delivered them.
And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel,
whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of
the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people
from under the hand of the Egyptians.
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods.
For in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them.
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for
God.
And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses'
father-in-law before God.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people.
And the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said,
What is this thing that thou doest to the people?
Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from
morning unto evening?
And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire
of God.
When they have a matter, they come unto me, and I judge between one and another,
and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Thou wilt surely wear away both thou and this people that is with thee.
For this thing is too heavy for thee.
Thou art not able to perform thyself alone.
Hearken now unto my voice.
I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee.
Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto
God.
And thou shalt teach them ordinances, and laws, and thou shalt show them the way
wherein they must walk, and the work they must do.
Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God,
men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers of
thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
And let them judge the people at all seasons.
And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every
small matter they shall judge.
So shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able
to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had
said.
And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the
people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of
tens.
And they judged the people at all seasons, the hard causes they brought unto Moses,
but every small matter they judged themselves.
And Moses let his father in law depart, and he went his way into his own land.