King James Version, Updated™

(1) Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

(3) and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom, for he said, "I have been an alien in a strange land."

(4) And the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh."

(5) Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he camped at the mount of God.

(6) And he said to Moses, "I your father-in-law Jethro have come to you, and your wife, and her two sons with her."

(7) So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and they went into the tent.

(8) Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the hardship that had come upon them along the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

(9) Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

(10) And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

(11) Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, for in the thing in which they acted proudly he was above them."

(12) Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.

(13) It came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening.

(14) When Moses' father in law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand by you from morning to evening?"

(15) Moses 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 one and another, and I make known to them the statutes of God, and his laws."

(17) Moses' father in law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.

(18) You will surely wear away, both you, and these people that are with you; for this 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 shall be with you. You are for the people representing God to them, so that you may bring the causes to God.

(20) And you shall teach them the ordinances and 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, that fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place these men over them, to be rulers of thousands, and 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, but every small matter they shall judge, so it shall be easier for you, and they shall bear the burden with you.

(23) If you shall do this thing, and God commands you so, then you shall be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace."

(24) So Moses listened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

(25) So 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.

(26) They judged the people at all times; the hard causes they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

(27) Then Moses let his father in law depart, and he went his way into his own land.