Exodus 18
1When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
2Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
3And her two sons; of whom 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 the God of my father, said he, was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5And 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:
6And he said unto Moses, I your father-in-law Jethro am come unto you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.
7And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
8And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing in which they dealt proudly he was above them.
12And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
13And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that you do to the people? why sit you yourself alone, and all the people stand by you from morning unto evening?
15And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:
16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The thing that you do is not good.
18You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you: for this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it yourself alone.
19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give you counsel, and God shall be with you: Represent the people before God, that you may bring the causes unto God:
20And you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22And let them judge the people at all times: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto you, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for yourself, and they shall bear the burden with you.
23If you shall do this thing, and God command you so, then you shall be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25And 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.
26And they judged the people at all times: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Commentaries for Exodus 18:0