Exodus 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;
2. Then Jethro, Moses' father in law * , took * Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
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:
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
11. Now I know * that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly * he was above them.
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.
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.
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?
15. And Moses said * unto his father in law * , Because the people come * unto me to enquire * of God:
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.
17. And Moses' father in law * said * unto him, The thing that thou doest * is not good.
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.
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:
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 * .
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:
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.
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.
24. So Moses hearkened * to the voice of his father in law * , and did * all that he had said * .
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.
26. And they judged * the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought * unto Moses, but every small matter they judged * themselves.
27. And Moses let his father in law * depart * ; and he went * his way into his own land.
