Exodus 18:8-18

8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had beset them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.
9 Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh.
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them."
12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening.
14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that 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?"
15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God."
17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The clause [because . . . Egyptians] has been transposed from verse 10
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.