King James Version

1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after her sending away. 3 And the names of the two sons of her were: the name of one was Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." 4 And the name of the one was Eleazar because the God of my father was my help and He saved me from the sword of Pharaoh. 5 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And he said to Moses, "I am your father-in-law Jethro, coming to you, and your wife and her two sons are with her." 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him, and they asked each other about their well-being, and they came into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, and all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how the Lord delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness that the LORD had done for Israel, in that He had saved them from the hand of Egypt. 10 And Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt." 11 Now I know that the LORD is great above all gods, for the thing they plotted against them. 12 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God. 13 And it was the next day, and Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?" 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "For when the people come to me to seek God." 16 If there is a matter that comes to you, and you judge between a man and his neighbor, and you make known my statutes and my laws. 17 And Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good." 18 You will surely be foolish; also you, also this people that is with you, for the matter is too heavy for you; you will not be able to do it alone. 19 Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You shall be for the people before God, and you shall bring the matters before God. 20 And you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and you shall make known to them the way they shall go and the work that they shall do. 21 And you shall see from all the people men of valor, fearers of God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain; and you shall place over them leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. 22 And they shall judge the people at all times; and every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. Thus, lighten the burden from upon you, and they shall bear it with you. 23 If you do this thing and God commands you, you will be able to stand, and also all this people will come to their place in peace. 24 And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he said. 25 And Moses chose men of valor from all Israel and set them as heads over the people, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, and captains of tens. 26 And they shall judge the people at all times; the hard matter they shall bring to Moses, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. 27 And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he went to his own land.