Exodus
Chapter 18
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18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses'
father in law, heard of
all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that
the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took
Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
18:3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been
an alien in a strange land:
18:4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
18:5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in
law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance,
and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they
came into the tent.
18:8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto
Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon
them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
18:9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he
had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
18:10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the
hand of the Egyptians.
18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they
dealt proudly he was above them.
18:12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and
Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before
God.
18:13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the
people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the
evening.
18:14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people,
he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest
thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto
even?
18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
18:16 When they have a matter, they come unto
me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and
his laws.
18:17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18:18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this
thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God
shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes
unto God:
18:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and
laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such
as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over
them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of
tens:
18:22 And let them judge the people at all
seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every
small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the
burden with thee.
18:23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou
shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
18:24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
18:25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people,
rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they
brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
18:27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into
his own land.
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