CHAPTER 18
Now Moses’
father-in-law
Jethro,
the priest
of Midian,
heard
about all
that
God
had done
for Moses
and His people
Israel,
and how
the LORD
had brought
Israel
out of Egypt.
along with her two
sons.
One
son
was named
Gershom,
for
Moses had said,
“I have been
a foreigner
in a foreign
land.”
The other son
was named
Eliezer,
because Moses had said,
“The God
of my father
was my helper
and delivered me
from the sword
of Pharaoh.”
Moses’ father-in-law
Jethro,
along with Moses’
wife
and sons,
came
to
him
in
the desert,
where
he
was encamped
at the mountain
of God.
He sent word
to
Moses,
“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
and bowed down
and kissed him.
They greeted
each
other
and went
into the tent.
Then Moses
recounted
to his father-in-law
all
that
the LORD
had done
to Pharaoh
and the Egyptians
for
Israel’s
sake,
all
the hardships
they had encountered
along the way,
and how the LORD
had delivered them.
And Jethro
rejoiced
over
all
the good things
the LORD
had done
for Israel,
whom
He had rescued
from the hand
of the Egyptians.
Jethro
declared,
“Praise
the LORD,
who
has delivered
you
from the hand
of the Egyptians
and of Pharaoh,
and who
has rescued
the people
from
the hand
of the Egyptians.
Now
I know
that
the LORD
is greater
than all other
gods,
for
He did this
when they
treated Israel arrogantly.”
Then Moses’
father-in-law
Jethro
brought
a burnt offering
and sacrifices
to God,
and Aaron
came
with all
the elders
of Israel
to eat
bread
with
Moses’
father-in-law
in the presence
of God.
The next day
Moses
took his seat
to judge
the people,
and they stood
around
him
from
morning
until
evening.
When his
father-in-law
saw
all
that
Moses
was doing
for the people,
he asked,
“What
is this
that
you are
doing
for the people?
Why
do you
sit
alone as judge,
with all
the people
standing
around
you from
morning
till
evening?"
“Whenever
they have
a dispute,
it is brought
to me
to judge
between
one man
and another,
and I make known
to them
the statutes
and
laws
of God.”
Surely
you
and
these
people
with you
will wear yourselves out,
because
the task
is too heavy
for you.
You cannot
handle
it alone.
Now
listen to me;
I will give you some advice,
and may God
be
with you.
You
must be
the people’s representative
before
God
and bring
their causes
to
Him.
Furthermore,
select
capable
men
from among
the people—
God-fearing,
trustworthy men
who are averse
to dishonest gain.
Appoint them
over the people
as leaders
of thousands,
of hundreds,
of fifties,
and of tens.
Have these men judge
the people
at all
times.
Then
they can bring
you
any
major
issue,
but all
minor
cases
they can judge
on their own,
so that your load may be lightened
as they share
it with you.
If
you follow
this
advice
and God
so directs you,
you will be able
to endure,
and
all
these
people
can go
home
in peace.”
So Moses
chose
capable
men
from all
Israel
and made
them heads
over
the people
as leaders
of thousands,
of hundreds,
of fifties,
and of tens.
And they judged
the people
at all
times;
they would bring
the difficult
cases
to
Moses,
but any
minor
issue
they would judge
themselves.