Ex 18:1 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;
Ex 18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after
he had sent her back,
Ex 18:3 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:
Ex 18:4 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:
Ex 18:5 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:
Ex 18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto
thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
Ex 18:7 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.
Ex 18:8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto
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.
Ex 18:9 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.
Ex 18:10 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.
Ex 18:11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing
wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Ex 18:12 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.
Ex 18:13 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.
Ex 18:14 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 even?
Ex 18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto
me to inquire of God:
Ex 18:16 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.
Ex 18:17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest
is not good.
Ex 18:18 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 it
thyself alone.
Ex 18:19 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:
Ex 18:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them
the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Ex 18:21 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:
Ex 18:22 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.
Ex 18:23 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.
Ex 18:24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all
that he had said.
Ex 18:25 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.
Ex 18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they
brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Ex 18:27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into
his own land.