Read the Bible

¹ And Jethro the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that which God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, that Jehovah had caused Israel to go out from Egypt.² And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, (after Moses had sent her away,)³ and her two sons, one's name was Gershom (for he said, I have become an alien in a foreign land;)⁴ and one's name was Eliezer (for the God of my father was my Help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh).⁵ And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, and his sons and his wife came to Moses, to the wilderness where he camped, at the mount of God.⁶ And he said to Moses, I, your father-in-law Jethro, and your wife, and your two sons with her have come to you.

⁷ And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed, and kissed him. And they asked each to his neighbor, as to their welfare. And they came into the tent.⁸ And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the trouble which they had found in the way, and Jehovah had delivered them.⁹ And Jethro rejoiced regarding all the good which Jehovah had done to Israel whom He had delivered from the hand of Egypt.¹⁰ And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh; He who delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.¹¹ Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all the gods; truly, in the way in which He acted proudly against them.¹² And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread before God with Moses' father-in-law.

¹³ And it happened on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people. And the people stood beside Moses from the morning until the evening.¹⁴ And Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing to the people. And he said, What is this thing which you are doing to the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people standing beside 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, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor. And I make known the statutes of God, and His laws.¹⁷ And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, The thing which you do is not good.¹⁸ Wearing you will wear out, both you and this people with you. For the thing is heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.¹⁹ Now listen to my voice. I will counsel you, and may God be with you. You be for this people before God, and you bring the matters to God.²⁰ And you warn them as to the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they should walk, and the work which they should do.²¹ And you, you shall look out men of ability out of all the people, who fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain. And you place these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.²² And let them judge the people at all times. And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, and every small matter they shall judge. And you make it easy on yourself, and let them bear with you.²³ If you do this thing, and God command you, you will be able to stand; and also this people will go in peace to their place.²⁴ And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said.²⁵ And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel and made them heads over the people; rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.²⁶ And they judged the people at all times; the hard matters they brought to Moses, and every small matter they judged themselves.²⁷ And Moses sent his father-in-law away, and he went to his own land.