Exodus

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law, heard about everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

After Moses had sent his wife Zipporah back, his father-in-law Jethro had taken her in,

along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom,

and the other was named [1] (Eliezer).

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked about each other's well-being and then went into the tent.

Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, about all the hardships they had faced along the way, and how the LORD had saved them.

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the power of the Egyptians.

He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the power of the Egyptians."

"Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because He did this to those who treated Israel arrogantly."

Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

The next day, Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.

When his father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit here alone as a judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will."

"Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good."

"You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone."

"Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to Him."

"Teach them His decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave."

"But select [2] (capable men) from all the people, men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens."

"Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you."

"If you do this, and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.