Exodus 18

1Word reached Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, of everything God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people: the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after Moses had sent her back, 3along with her two sons. One of them was named Gershom, because Moses had said, “I have been an outsider in a foreign land.” 4The other was named Eliezer, because “The God of my father was my helper, and he rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword.” 5Moses’ father-in-law Jethro came out into the wilderness with Moses’ wife and sons, and found him camped at the mountain of God. 6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am on my way to you, along with your wife and her two sons.” 7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him, and they asked after each other’s well-being. Then they went into the tent. 8Moses gave his father-in-law a full account of what the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on Israel’s behalf. He told of every hardship that had come upon them on their journey, and of how the LORD had delivered them. 9Jethro was glad because of all the good the LORD had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of Egypt. 10Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the grip of Egypt and of Pharaoh, and has freed this people from under Egypt’s hand. 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, for he showed it in the very matter in which they acted proudly against Israel.” 12Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro took a burnt offering and sacrifices and offered them to God. Aaron and every elder of Israel joined Moses’ father-in-law, and they ate a meal together before God. 13The following day Moses sat down to judge the people’s cases, and from morning to evening the people stood waiting before him. 14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What sort of thing is this you are doing with the people? Why do you sit here alone, while the whole crowd stands waiting on you from morning to evening?” 15Moses answered his father-in-law, “It is because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I decide between the two sides. I also make God’s statutes and his laws known to them.” 17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “This way of doing things is not good. 18You are sure to wear out, both you and the people who are with you. The load is too heavy for you; you cannot carry it by yourself. 19Now hear what I have to say. Let me counsel you, and may God be with you. Your part is to stand before God on the people’s behalf and to take their cases to God. 20Instruct them in the statutes and the laws, and show them the path they are to walk and the things they are to do. 21Then look over all the people and pick out able men, men who fear God, who can be relied on and who hate gain got by cheating. Put them in charge of the people as officers over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties and over tens. 22They will judge the people at all times. Every great matter they will bring to you, but every small matter they will decide themselves. So make your load lighter, and they will carry it with you. 23If you do this, and God gives you this command, you will be able to hold up, and all these people as well will go back to their homes in peace.” 24Moses took his father-in-law’s advice and did all he had proposed. 25From all Israel Moses picked able men and made them heads over the people: officers over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties and over tens. 26From then on they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they took to Moses, but every small matter they decided themselves. 27Then Moses saw his father-in-law off, and Jethro went back to his own land.