Jethro Visits Moses

¹Jethro was the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses. He heard what the Lord God had done for Moses and his people, after rescuing them from Egypt.

^2-3-4In the meantime, Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and her two sons to stay with Jethro, and he had welcomed them. Moses was still a foreigner in Midian when his first son was born, and so Moses said, “I'll name him Gershom.”[#Ex 2.21,22; Ac 7.29.; #18.2-4 See the note at 2.22.]

When his second son was born, Moses said, “I'll name him Eliezer, because the God my father worshiped has saved me from the king of Egypt.”

^5-6While Israel was camped in the desert near Mount Sinai, Jethro sent Moses this message: “I am coming to visit you, and I am bringing your wife and two sons.”[#18.5,6 Hebrew “the mountain of God.”]

⁷When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent,

⁸where Moses told him everything the Lord had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the Lord had helped them in all of their troubles.

⁹Jethro was so pleased to hear this good news about what the Lord had done,

¹⁰that he shouted, “Praise the Lord ! He rescued you and the Israelites from the Egyptians and their king.

¹¹Now I know that the Lord is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies.”[#3 Macc 2.3.]

¹²Jethro offered sacrifices to God. Then Aaron and Israel's leaders came to eat with Jethro there at the place of worship.

Judges Are Appointed

¹³The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening.

¹⁴Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, “Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁵Moses answered, “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do.

¹⁶They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws.”

¹⁷Jethro replied:

²⁴Moses followed Jethro's advice.

²⁵He chose some competent leaders from every tribe in Israel and put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000.

²⁶They served as judges, deciding the easy cases themselves, but bringing the more difficult ones to Moses.

²⁷After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said goodbye to each other, Jethro returned home.