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Exodus 18

1Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after she had been sent away, 3and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a resident foreigner in a foreign land.” 4The name of the other was Eliezer, for he had said, “My father's God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword.” 5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mountain of God. 6He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked one another about their well-being and went into the tent. 8Moses recounted to his father-in-law everything Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had met them on the road, and how Yahweh had delivered them. 9Jethro rejoiced over all the good Yahweh had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of Egypt. 10Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under Egypt's hand. 11Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, for in the very thing in which they acted arrogantly against them!” 12Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

13On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known God's statutes and his instructions.” 17Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18You will surely wear out, both you and this people with you, for the matter is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone. 19Now listen to my voice. I will advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring their matters to God. 20Teach them the statutes and the instructions, and make known to them the road on which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21And you are to select from all the people capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain. Set them over the people as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens. 22They are to judge the people at all times. Every great matter they are to bring to you, but every small matter they are to judge themselves. Make it lighter for yourself, and they will bear it with you. 23If you do this, and God commands you, you will be able to stand, and all this people too will go to their place in peace.”

24Moses listened to his father-in-law's voice and did everything he had said. 25Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people: chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens. 26They judged the people at all times. The difficult matter they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27Moses sent his father-in-law away, and he went to his own land.

Translation notes 7

18:2 — Sent away. The Hebrew refers to Zipporah's earlier sending away but does not narrate its circumstances here. The wording does not require a divorce, and no divorce is supplied.

18:3–4 — The sons' names. Gershom recalls being a foreign resident there; Eliezer means “My God is help.” “Moses had said” and “he had said” identify the speaker supplied by the naming explanations.

18:6 — Jethro's announcement. The Hebrew base reads “I.” The Samaritan Hebrew text compared reads “behold,” and the ancient Greek presents a report about Jethro. The draft retains the first-person message without specifying a messenger or method of delivery.

18:11 — The unfinished comparison. The Hebrew closes with an elliptical clause about acting arrogantly against them. The context points to Egypt's treatment of Israel and Yahweh's deliverance, but an additional clause describing how God repaid Egypt is not expressed. The translation leaves the sentence's abruptness visible.

18:12 — Eat bread. The expression means sharing a meal, here in a sacrificial setting. “Brought” renders the verb literally meaning took; the verse does not specify every step in offering the sacrifices.

18:18–22 — Heavy and light. The workload is pictured as a weight that can be shared. “Capable men” retains the explicit male wording. “Thousands” and the smaller units preserve the text's organization without deciding that every unit had precisely its numerical strength.

18:23 — If God commands. Jethro qualifies his counsel with divine authorization. The translation retains that condition rather than making the advice an unconditional divine command.