Exodus

Meeting with Jethro

Jethro, the priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.

After Moses had sent away Zipporah, his wife, Jethro, his father-in-law, received her

and her two sons. Moses had first called Gershom to remind him that he had been a guest in a foreign land,

and the other Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father came to my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

So Jethro came with Moses’ wife and sons to the desert, where the people had encamped at the mountain of God.

Moses was told, “Your father-in-law Jethro is here. He has come with your wife and her two sons.”

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and, bowing low before him, he kissed him, and when each had inquired about the other’s health, they entered the tent.

Moses then told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt for the sake of Israel and all the difficulties they had met on the way, and how the Lord had saved them.

Jethro rejoiced at the Lord’s goodness in freeing Israel from Egypt’s power.

He said:

“Blessed be the Lord who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh and has rescued the people from the grip of Egypt.

I know now that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for he delivered his people when they were being oppressed.”

Then Jethro brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to share this meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

Distribution of Responsibilities

The next day, Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people who stood around him from morning till night.

His father-in-law, seeing Moses’s work for the people, said to him:

“What are you doing for the people? Why do you alone sit and judge while all the people stand around you from morning till night?”

Moses answered:

“The people come to me to know God’s will.

When there is a dispute, they bring it to me to decide between the two parties, and I teach them God’s decrees and laws.”

Jethro replied:

“What you are doing is not good.

You and your people will wear yourselves out, for the work is too heavy, and you cannot do it alone.

Now listen to the advice I will give you, and may God be with you. You will be the people’s representative before God and bring their cases to him.

You will teach them the statutes and laws, how they must live, and what they must do.

But choose among the people, capable, God-fearing men, men of truth who hate a bribe, and appoint them as leaders for groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty, and ten.

They will administer justice at all times, bringing to your attention only those cases of major importance while they deal with all those of lesser importance. That will ease your burden since they will be sharing it with you.

If you do this, God will guide you, and you will be able to cope with this duty, and all these people will reach their place in peace.”

Moses followed his father-in-law’s advice and did as he was told.

He chose capable men from among the Israelites. He placed them as leaders over groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty, and ten.

They administered justice at all times, bringing complex cases to Moses but judging all other cases themselves.

Then Moses let his father-in-law return to his own country.