Exodus 18

A Joyful Acknowledgment of God Exodus 18:7–12

⁷Verse 7. Moses 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. ⁸Verse 8. Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. ⁹Verse 9. Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰Verse 10. Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

¹¹Verse 11. Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them.” ¹²Verse 12. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Observing Moses' Leadership Exodus 18:13–23

¹³Verse 13. On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening. ¹⁴Verse 14. When Moses’ 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?” ¹⁵Verse 15. Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶Verse 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.”

¹⁷Verse 17. Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. ¹⁸Verse 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. ¹⁹Verse 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. ²⁰Verse 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. ²¹Verse 21. Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which 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.

²²Verse 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. ²³Verse 23. If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

Moses Implements Jethro's Advice Exodus 18:24–27

²⁴Verse 24. So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. ²⁵Verse 25. Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶Verse 26. They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. ²⁷Verse 27. Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.