The Visit of Jethro
And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people — that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife — after she had been sent home —
and her two sons: the name of the one was Gershom, for he had said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”
and the name of the other was Eliezer, “for the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses, to the wilderness where he was camped, at the mountain of God.
And he said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons with her.”
And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and they went into the tent.
And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel’s sake — all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the LORD had done for Israel — that he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt.
And Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh — who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods — for in the very thing in which they acted proudly, he was over 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.
Jethro Advises Moses
And it happened the next day that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood around Moses from the morning until the evening.
And Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, “What is this thing you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, with all the people standing around you from morning until evening?”
And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor; and I make known the statutes of God and his instructions.”
And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing you are doing is not good.
You will surely wear yourself out — both you and this people who are with you — for the thing is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
Now listen to my voice; let me counsel you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the matters to God.
And you shall warn them of the statutes and the instructions, and make known to them the way they must walk in, and the work they must do.
And you shall look out from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of unjust gain; and you shall set them over the people as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.
And let them judge the people at all times. And it shall be: every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. Make it lighter for yourself, and let them carry it with you.
If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to stand — and all this people also will come to its place in peace.”
And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
And Moses chose men of ability out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people — chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.
And they judged the people at all times; the hard matter they would bring to Moses, but every small matter they would judge themselves.
And Moses sent his father-in-law off, and he went his way to his own land.