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Exodus 18:1-27 — Jethro Visits Moses

Exod.18.1-27

¹Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after she had been sent back, ³and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom , for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,” ⁴and 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.” ⁵Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mountain of God. ⁶He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” ⁷Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other about their welfare, and they went into the tent. ⁸Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. ⁹Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness that Yahweh had done for Israel, in that he had delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰Jethro said, "Blessed be Yahweh, 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. ¹¹Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because of the very matter in which they acted arrogantly against them." ¹²Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. ¹³The next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning until the evening. ¹⁴When 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 alone, while all the people stand in attendance around you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶When they have a dispute, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and his laws." ¹⁷Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You will surely wear yourselves out completely, both you and this people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone. ¹⁹Now listen to my voice; I will give you advice, and may God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring their disputes to God. ²⁰You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. ²¹Moreover, you shall select from all the people capable men who fear God, men of truth who hate dishonest gain, and appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. ²²Let them judge the people at all times. Every major matter they shall bring to you, but every minor matter they shall judge themselves. So it will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. ²³If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace." ²⁴Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵Moses chose capable men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. ²⁶They judged the people at all times. The difficult matters they would bring to Moses, but every minor matter they would judge themselves. ²⁷Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land .

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4/11/2026

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