THE BOOK OF EXODUS

 

Exodus Chapter 18

1 ¶ Jethro, the priest of Midian, and father in law of Moses, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father in law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

3 And also her two sons; one of whom was named Gershom; for Moses said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4 And the other was named Eliezer; for he said, the God of my father was my helper, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

5 And Moses’ father in law Jethro, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to Moses in the desert, where he was encamped at the mount of God:

6 And he sent word to Moses, I your father in law Jethro am coming to you, with your wife, and her two sons.

7 ¶ And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and bowed down before him, and kissed him; and they asked each other how they had been; and went into the tent.

8 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 trouble they had along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, when he delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians.

10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and rescued Israel from the power of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing in which they dealt proudly he was above them.

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God: and Aaron came, with all the elders of Israel, to eat a meal with Moses’ father in law in God’s presence.

13 ¶ And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat down to judge the people: and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.

14 And when Moses’ father in law saw everything he was doing for the people, he said, What is this that you do for the people? why do you sit here alone, with all the people standing around you from morning to evening?

15 And Moses said to his father in law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God:

16 When they have a dispute, they come to me; and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I teach them the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 And Moses’ father in law said to him, What you are doing is not good.

18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you, and the people who are with you: for this task is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it all alone.

19 Now listen to me, and I will give you some advice, and God shall be with you: You go to God for the people, and bring their problems to God:

20 And you teach them ordinances and laws, and show them how to live, and what they must do.

21 But choose able men from all the people, who fear God, men of truth, who hate bribes; and place them over the people, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22 And let them judge the people at all times: and they shall bring every important matter to you, but they shall judge every small matter: in this way it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

23 If you will do this, and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go home satisfied.

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he suggested.

25 And Moses chose able men from all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 And they judged the people at all times: they brought the difficult cases to Moses, but judged every small matter themselves.

27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.