1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,
3 And her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom, for Moses said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land;
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5 So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God.
6 And he sent word to Moses: I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; and each asked the other’s welfare, and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how Jehovah delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which Jehovah had done to Israel, in that He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.
12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat food with Moses’ father- in-law before God.
13 And on the following day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 And 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 sit by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?
15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a dispute, the matter comes to me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.
17 And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, The thing that you are doing is not good.
18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and this people who are with you, for the thing is too heavy for you; you cannot do it by yourself.
19 Listen now to my voice: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You stand for the people before God, and you bring the matters to God.