1 And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, that YHWH had brought out Israel from Egypt, 2 and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, wife of Moses, after her parting, 3 and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a strange land.” 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer, for, “The God of my father is for my help, and He delivers me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, came, and his sons, and his wife, to Moses, to the wilderness where he was encamping—the mountain of God. 6 and he said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.” 7 And Moses goes out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed himself, and kissed him, and they asked of one another of welfare, and come into the tent. 8 And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that YHWH had done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account of Israel, all the travail which had found them in the way, and how YHWH delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which YHWH had done to Israel, whom He had delivered from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, “Blessed is YHWH, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh—who has delivered this people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the gods, for in the thing they have acted proudly—He is above them!” 12 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt-offering and sacrificed it for God. And Aaron came in, and all the elderly of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God. 13 And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning to the evening. 14 And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people and said, “What is this thing which you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people standing by you from morning until evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God. 16 When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and make known the statutes of God, and His laws.” 17 And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing which you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people which are with you, for the thing is too heavy for you, you are not able to do it by yourself. 19 Now listen to my voice, I counsel you, and God is with you: be for the people before God, and you will bring in the things to God. 20 And you will warn them concerning the statutes and the laws, and will make known to them the way in which they go, and the work which they do. 21 And you provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and will place these over them for heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens, 22 and they will judge the people at all times. And it will come to pass, they bring every great matter to you, and they judge every small matter themselves. And lighten it from off yourself, and they will bear with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God has commanded you, then you will be able to stand, and all this people also goes to its place in peace.” 24 And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he said, 25 and Moses chose men of ability out of all Israel, and made them chiefs over the people for heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens, 26 and they judged the people at all times. They brought the hard matter to Moses, and they judged every small matter themselves. 27 And Moses sent his father-in-law away, and he goes away to his own land.