Now aJethro, the priest
of Midian
, Moses'
father-in-law
, heard
of all
that God
had done
for Moses
and for Israel
His people
, how
the LORD
had brought
Israel
out of Egypt
.
Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law
, took
Moses'
wife
aZipporah
, after
he had sent
her away
,
and her atwo sons
, of whom
1one
was named
Gershom
, for Moses said
, "I have been
ba 2sojourner
in a foreign
land
."
1The other was named
2 aEliezer
, for he said, " bThe God
of my father
was my help
, and delivered
me from the sword
of Pharaoh
."
Then Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law
, came
with his sons
and his wife
to Moses
1in the wilderness
where
he was camped
, at athe mount
of God
.
He 1sent word
to Moses
, "I, your father-in-law
Jethro
, am coming
to you with your wife
and her two
sons
with her."
Then Moses went
out to meet
his father-in-law
, and ahe bowed
down
and bkissed
him; and they casked
each
other
of their welfare
and went
into the tent
.
Moses told
his father-in-law
all
that the LORD
had done
to Pharaoh
and to the Egyptians
afor Israel's
sake
, all
the bhardship
that had befallen
them on the journey
, and how cthe LORD
had delivered
them.
Jethro rejoiced
over
all
athe goodness
which
the LORD
had done
to Israel
, 1in delivering
2them from the hand
of the Egyptians
.
So Jethro said
, " aBlessed
be the LORD
who
delivered
you from the hand
of the Egyptians
and from the hand
of Pharaoh
, and who
delivered
the people
from under
the hand
of the Egyptians
.
"Now I know
that athe LORD
is greater
than
all
the gods
; 1indeed
, bit was proven
when
they dealt
proudly
against
2the people."
aThen Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law
, took
a burnt
offering
and sacrifices
for God
, and Aaron
came
with all
the elders
of Israel
to eat
1a meal
with Moses'
father-in-law
before
God
.
It came about the next
day
that Moses
sat
to judge
the people
, and the people
stood
about
Moses
from the morning
until
the evening
.
Now when Moses' father-in-law
saw
all
that he was doing
for the people
, he said
, "What
is this
thing
that you are doing
for the people
? Why
do you alone
sit
as judge and all
the people
stand
about
you from morning
until
evening
?"
Moses said
to his father-in-law
, "Because
the people
come
to me ato inquire
of God
.
"When they have
a 1 adispute
, it comes
to me, and I judge
between
a man
and his neighbor
and make
known
the statutes
of God
and His laws
."
Moses' father-in-law
said
to him, "The thing
that you are doing
is not good
.
" aYou will surely wear
out, both
yourself
and 1these
people
who
are with you, for the 2task
is too
heavy
for you; byou cannot
do
it alone
.
"Now listen
to 1me: I will give
you counsel
, and God
be with you. 2You be the people's
representative before
God
, and you abring
the 3disputes
to God
,
athen teach them the statutes
and the laws
, and make
known
to them bthe way
in which they are to walk
and the work
they are to do
.
"Furthermore, you shall 1select out of all
the people
aable
men
bwho fear
God
, men
of truth
, those who chate
dishonest
gain
; and you shall place
these over
them as leaders
of thousands
, 2of hundreds
, 2of fifties
and 2of tens
.
"Let them judge the people
at all
times
; and let it be athat every
major
1dispute
they will bring
to you, but every
minor
1dispute
they themselves will judge
. So it will be easier
for you, and bthey will bear
the burden with you.
"If you do
this
thing
and God
so commands
you, then you will be able
to 1endure
, and all
2these
people
also
will go
to 3their place
in peace
."
So Moses listened
1to his father-in-law
and did
all
that he had said
.
Moses chose
aable
men
out of all
Israel
and made
them heads
over
the people
, leaders
of thousands
, 1of hundreds
, 1of fifties
and 1of tens
.
They judged the people
at all
times
; athe difficult
1dispute
they would bring
to Moses
, but every
minor
1dispute
they themselves would judge
.
Then Moses 1 abade
his father-in-law
farewell
, and he went
his way into his own land
.