Exodus
Chapter 18
1 When Jethro, the religious leader of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard about everything God had done for Moses and the people of Israel, and how God had led Israel out of Egypt;
2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought back Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent away.
3 She had two sons. The first was named Gershom, because he said, “I have been a foreigner in another country.”
4 The other’s name was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper and saved me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and wife to Moses in the desert, where he camped at God’s mountain.
6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 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.
8 Moses told his father-in-law everything that God had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel, all their troubles on the journey, and how God saved them.
9 Jethro was happy about all the good things God did for Israel, saving them from the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, “Praise God, who has saved you from the Egyptians and Pharaoh, and has rescued the people from the Egyptians’ control.”
11 Now I understand that God is greater than all gods, because where they acted with arrogance, He was superior.
12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the leaders of Israel came to eat with him in God’s presence.
13 The next day, Moses took his place to make decisions for the people, and they stood around Moses from morning to evening.
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you doing to the people? Why do you sit alone while everyone waits around you from morning to evening?”
15 Moses told his father-in-law, “The people come to me to ask about God.”
16 When they have an issue, they come to me; and I decide between them, and I teach them God’s rules and laws.
17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.”
18 You will definitely become exhausted, both you and these people with you, because this task is too much for you; you can’t do it all by yourself.
19 Listen to me, I will advise you, and God will be with you: You be the people’s representative before God, and bring their disputes to God.
20 You should teach them the rules and laws, and show them the path they must follow, and the work they must do.
21 Choose from all the people capable men who respect God, honest men who dislike greed, and appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.
22 Let them decide for the people at all times. They will handle big issues with you, but they will handle small ones themselves. This will make things easier for you, and they will share the work with you.
23 If you do this and if God tells you to, then you will be able to keep going, and all these people will go home peacefully.
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
25 Moses picked skilled men from all Israel and appointed them as leaders of the people: chiefs over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
26 They judged the people at all times: they took difficult cases to Moses, but they decided every small issue themselves.
27 Moses allowed his father-in-law to leave, and he returned to his own country.