18Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt.H3503H3548H4080H4872H2859H8085H430H6213H4872H3478H5971H3068H3318H3478H4714

2Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses' wife who had been sent back home,H3503H4872H2859H3947H6855H4872H802H310H7964

3and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign land";H8147H1121H8034H259H1647H559H1616H5237H776

4the name of the other was Eliezer (God's-Help) because "The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh."H8034H259H461H430H1H5828H5337H2719H6547

5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.H3503H4872H2859H935H1121H802H4872H4057H2583H2022H430

6He had sent a message ahead to Moses: "I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons."H559H4872H2859H3503H935H802H8147H1121

7Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent.H4872H3318H7125H2859H7812H5401H7592H376H7453H7965H935H168

8Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that GOD had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how GOD had delivered them.H4872H5608H2859H3068H6213H6547H4714H3478H182H8513H4672H1870H3068H5337

9Jethro was delighted in all the good that GOD had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression.H3503H2302H2896H3068H6213H3478H5337H3027H4714

10Jethro said, "Blessed be GOD who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt.H3503H559H1288H3068H5337H3027H4714H3027H6547H5337H5971H3027H4714

11Now I know that GOD is greater than all gods because he's done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly."H3045H3068H1419H430H1697H2102

12Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.H3503H4872H2859H3947H5930H2077H430H175H935H2205H3478H398H3899H4872H2859H6440H430

13The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night.H4283H4872H3427H8199H5971H5971H5975H4872H1242H6153

14When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"H4872H2859H7200H6213H5971H559H1697H6213H5971H3427H5971H5324H1242H6153

15Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God.H4872H559H2859H5971H935H1875H430

16When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions."H1697H935H8199H376H7453H3045H2706H430H8451

17Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it.H4872H2859H559H1697H6213H2896

18You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone.H5034H5034H5971H1697H3515H3201H6213

19Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God.H8085H6963H3289H430H1961H5971H4136H430H935H1697H430

20Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do.H2094H853H2706H8451H3045H1870H3212H4639H6213

21And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.H2372H5971H2428H582H3373H430H582H571H8130H1215H7760H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235

22They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you.H8199H5971H6256H1419H1697H935H6996H1697H8199H7043H5375

23If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also."H6213H1697H430H6680H3201H5975H5971H935H4725H7965

24Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said.H4872H8085H6963H2859H6213H559

25Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.H4872H977H2428H582H3478H5414H7218H5971H8269H505H8269H3967H8269H2572H8269H6235

26They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges.H8199H5971H6256H7186H1697H935H4872H6996H1697H1992H8199

27Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.H4872H2859H7971H3212H776