Exodus 18

1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of everything the Lord had done for his people Israel — that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife — after she had been sent back — [a] 3 and his two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, for his father had said, “I was a stranger in a foreign land,” 4 and the name of the second was Eliezer, “for the God of my father is my helper, and he pulled me out of the hand of Pharaoh.” 5 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mountain of God. 6 And word was brought to Moses: “Look, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you, with your wife and your two sons.” 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed low to him, and kissed him, and they greeted each other; and he brought him into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the hardship that had come on them along the way, and how the Lord had pulled them out of the hand of Pharaoh and out of the hand of the Egyptians. 9 And Jethro was amazed at all the good the Lord had done them — that he had pulled them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh. 10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, because he has pulled his people out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh. 11 Now I know that the Lord is great above all the gods — because of this: what they did when they set on them.” [b] 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 The next day, Moses sat to judge the people; and all the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 And when Jethro saw everything he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, with all the people standing around you from morning till late afternoon?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek judgment from God. 16 Whenever a dispute arises among them and they come to me, I decide between each of them, and I teach them the decrees of God and his law.” 17 And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not right. 18 You will wear yourself down past bearing — you and all this people with you. The thing is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 So listen to me now, and I will give you counsel, and God will be with you. You be the people’s man for the things that concern God, and carry their matters up to God; 20 and warn them of the decrees of God and his law, and show them the ways they are to walk in and the works they are to do. 21 And you — look out from among all the people for able men who fear God, righteous men who hate arrogance, and set them over the people as leaders of thousands, and of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at every hour. The matter that is too weighty they will bring up to you, but the small cases they will judge themselves. So they will lighten the load on you and carry it with you. 23 If you do this, God will strengthen you, and you will be able to stand — and all this people will come to their own place in peace.” 24 And Moses listened to his father-in-law’s voice and did everything he said. 25 And Moses picked able men out of all Israel and made them leaders over the people — leaders of thousands, and of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens; 26 and they judged the people at every hour. Every matter too weighty they brought up to Moses, and every light matter they judged themselves. 27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law off, and he went away to his own land.