The Visit of Jethro

1And Jethro priest of Midian,† father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, that YHWH had brought Israel out from Egypt.

2And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, wife of Moses, after he had sent her back, 3and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom,† for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 4And the name of the one was Eliezer,† for, “The God of my father was my help and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

5And Jethro father-in-law of Moses came—and his sons and his wife—to Moses, to the wilderness, where he was camping at the mountain of God. 6And he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons with her.”

7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed himself and kissed him, and they asked, each man to his neighbor, of their welfare, and they went into the tent. 8And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that YHWH had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for the sake of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how YHWH had delivered them.

9And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that YHWH had done for Israel, that He had delivered them from the hand of Egypt. 10And Jethro said, “Blessed be YHWH, who delivered you⁺ from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. 11Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the gods, for in the matter in which they acted proudly He was above them.”

12And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before the face of God.

Jethro Advises Moses
(Deuteronomy 1:9–18)

13And it came to pass on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing to the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and between his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18You will surely wear out, both you and this people who are with you. For this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

19Now listen to my voice; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You must be for the people before God, and you—you shall bring the matters to God. 20And you shall warn them of the statutes and of the laws and you shall make known to them the way in which they shall walk, and the work that they shall do.

21And you—you shall see from all the people men of valor, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of dishonest gain—and you shall appoint these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22And they shall judge the people at all times. And it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, and every small matter they shall judge themselves. And it will be lightened from you, and they will bear up with you.

23If you do this thing, and God commands you, then you will be able to endure, and also all this people will go to its place in peace.”

24And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. 25And Moses chose men of valor out of all Israel, and he appointed them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26And they judged the people at all times; the hard matter they would bring to Moses, and every small matter they would judge themselves.

27And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he went on his way to his land.