1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law, heard about everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, whom Moses had sent back home,
3 along with her two sons. One of them was named Gershom, because Moses had said, "I have become a sojourner in a foreign land";
4 the other was named Eliezer, because he had said, "The God of my father was my help; he rescued me from Pharaoh's sword."
5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mountain of God.
6 He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, together with your wife and her two sons."
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed down and kissed him, and they asked each other how they were; then they went into the tent.
8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship they had met along the way, and how the LORD had rescued them.
9 Jethro was glad because of all the good the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who has rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; it has been shown in the very matter in which they treated them with arrogance."
12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.
14 When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit by yourself, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"
15 Moses answered his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them God's statutes and his laws."
17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
18 You will certainly wear yourself out, and these people with you as well, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot carry it out by yourself.
19 Now listen to me. I will give you advice, and may God be with you. You are to stand for the people before God and bring their disputes to God.
20 Warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way they are to walk and the work they are to do.
21 But you yourself are to look out from all the people capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and set them over the people as officials over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties and over tens.
22 Let them judge the people at all times. Every major case they are to bring to you, but every minor case they can decide themselves. That will lighten your load, and they will carry it with you.
23 If you do this, and God so commands you, you will be able to hold up, and all these people too will go home in peace."
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said.
25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, officials over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties and over tens.
26 They judged the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but every minor case they decided themselves.
27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro went back to his own land.