Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, came to visit him
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1 Jethro, who was the priest for the Midian people-group, and who was also my father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for the Israeli people. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt. 2 I had previously sent my wife Zipporah back home when I was returning to Egypt. But now Jethro came to me, 3 bringing Zipporah and our two sons. One son was named Gershom, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means 'foreigner', because I had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another land.” 4 Her other son was named Eliezer, which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean 'God helps me', because I had said “God, whom my father worshiped, has helped me and saved me from being killed by the king of Egypt.”5 While I was camped with the Israeli people in the desert near Sinai, God's sacred mountain, Jethro came to me, bringing along my wife and our two sons. 6 Jethro had sent a message to me, saying “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you, bringing along your wife and your two sons!” 7 So I went out of the campsite to meet my father-in-law. I bowed before him, and kissed him on the cheek. We asked each other, “How has your health been?” Then we went into my tent. 8 I told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the other people in Egypt for the sake of the Israeli people. I also told him about the troubles we had experienced on the way, and how Yahweh had helped us. 9 Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people. 10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful Egyptian king and his army! 11 Now I realize that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued you from the power of the proud Egyptians when they were causing you to suffer.” 12 Then Jethro brought an animal to sacrifice it by burning it completely on the altar as an offering, and he also offered other sacrifices to God. Aaron and the Israeli leaders went with us to eat a sacred meal with Jethro.
Jethro gave Moses some good advice about appointing judges
13 The next day, I sat down at the place where I settled disputes among the people. The people were continually bringing their disputes to me, from the morning until the evening. 14 When Jethro saw everything that I was doing for the people, he said, “You should not be doing all this for the people! Why are you doing this by yourself, and all the people are standing around you, from the morning until the evening, asking you to make decisions for them?” 15 I replied, “I am doing this because the people keep coming to me to find out what God wants. 16 When they have a dispute about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. I also tell them all of God's laws and instructions.” 17 Jethro said to me, “What you are doing is not good for you or for the people. 18 You and these people will wear yourselves out! This work is too much for you. You are not able to do it by yourself. 19 Now listen to some good advice I will give to you. If you do what I suggest, God will help you. You should continue to speak to God and tell him about the people's disputes. 20 You should also teach them what God has commanded and instructed you. You should also explain to them how they should conduct their lives, and the things that they should do. 21 But in addition, you should choose some other men to help you. Choose men who have reverence for God and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions for groups of ten people, some for groups of fifty people, some for groups of a hundred people, and some for groups of a thousand people. 22 Allow them to serve permanently to settle disputes for the people. The most difficult matters they can bring to you; but the matters that are not difficult, they can decide themselves. That will make the work easier for you, as they help you do that work. 23 If you do that, and I think that God is telling you to do it, you will be able to endure the stress, and all the people will be able to go home peacefully, with their disputes settled quickly."
24 I accepted what my father-in-law Jethro suggested. 25 I chose capable men from among the Israeli people. 26 They were appointed permanently to decide about the people's disputes. They brought the very difficult cases to me, but they decided the matters that were not difficult by themselves. 27 Then I said goodbye to my father-in-law Jethro, and he returned home.