出18:1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

出18:2After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her

出18:3and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land";

出18:4and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."

出18:5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

出18:6Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."

出18:7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

出18:8Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.

出18:9Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.

出18:10He said, "Praise be to the Lord , who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

出18:11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly."

出18:12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

出18:13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.

出18:14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

出18:15Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will.

出18:16Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

出18:17Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good.

出18:18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

出18:19Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him.

出18:20Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.