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¹ Now Yitro, the Kohen of Midyan, Moshe' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisra'el his people, how that the LORD had brought Yisra'el out of Mitzrayim. ² Yitro, Moshe' father-in-law, received Tzipporah, Moshe' wife, after he had sent her away, ³ and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moshe said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land". ⁴ The name of the other was Eli`ezer, for he said, "My father's God was my help and delivered me from Par`oh's sword." ⁵ Yitro, Moshe' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moshe into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God. ⁶ He said to Moshe, I, your father-in-law Yitro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.

⁷ Moshe went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent. ⁸ Moshe told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Par`oh and to the Mitzrim for Yisra'el's sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them. <sup>9</sup> Yitro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Yisra'el, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Mitzrim. <sup>10</sup> Yitro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Mitzrim, and out of the hand of Par`oh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitzrim. ¹¹ Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them." ¹² Yitro, Moshe' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aharon came with all of the Zakenim of Yisra'el, to eat bread with Moshe' father-in-law before God.

¹³ It happened on the next day, that Moshe sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moshe from the morning to the evening. ¹⁴ When Moshe' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?" ¹⁵ Moshe said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws." ¹⁷ Moshe' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good. ¹⁸ You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone. ¹⁹ Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God. ²⁰ You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. ²¹ Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²² Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you. ²³ If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all of these people also will go to their place in shalom." ²⁴ So Moshe listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. ²⁵ Moshe chose able men out of all Yisra'el, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶ They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moshe, but every small matter they judged themselves. ²⁷ Moshe let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.