¶ When Jethro¹, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard² of all that God³ had done⁴ for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah⁵, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

And her two sons⁶; of which the name of the one was Gershom⁷; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

And the name of the other was Eliezer⁸; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered⁹ me from the sword of Pharaoh:

¹⁰And 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:

And he said¹¹ unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

¶ And Moses went¹² out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance¹³, and kissed¹⁴ him; and they asked each other of their welfare¹⁵; and they came into the tent.

And Moses told¹⁶ his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the¹⁷ travail that had come upon them¹⁸ by the way, and how the LORD¹⁹ delivered them.

²⁰And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

¶²¹And 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.

Now I²² know that the LORD²³ is greater than all gods: for in the thing²⁴ wherein they dealt proudly²⁵ he was above them.

And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took²⁶ a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron²⁷ came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread²⁸ with Moses' father in law before God.

¶²⁹And 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.

And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said³⁰, What is this³¹ thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire³² of God:

When they have a matter³³, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another³⁴, and I do make³⁵ them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good³⁶.

Thou wilt surely wear away³⁷, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art³⁸ not able to perform it thyself alone.

Hearken³⁹ now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall⁴⁰ be with thee: Be thou⁴¹ for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring⁴² the causes unto God:

¶ And thou shalt teach⁴³ them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way⁴⁴ wherein they must walk, and the work⁴⁵ that they must do.

Moreover⁴⁶ thou shalt provide out of all the people able men⁴⁷, such as⁴⁸ fear God, men⁴⁹ of truth, hating⁵⁰ covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands⁵¹, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

And let them judge the people at all seasons⁵²: and it shall be, that every great⁵³ matter they shall⁵⁴ 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.

If thou shalt do this thing, and God⁵⁵ command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this⁵⁶ people shall also go to their place in peace.

⁵⁷So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

⁵⁸And 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.

And they judged the people at all⁵⁹ seasons: the hard causes⁶⁰ they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

⁶¹And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.