Exodus 18:13–22

¹³And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening. ¹⁴And Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did with the people, and said, What is this thing which thou art doing with the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people are standing by thee from morning to evening? ¹⁵And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to enquire of God. ¹⁶When 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. ¹⁷And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou art doing is not good. ¹⁸Thou wilt be quite exhausted, both thou and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee: thou canst not perform it alone. ¹⁹Hearken now to my voice: I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring the matters before God; ²⁰and teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. ²¹But do thou provide among all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place them over them, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens, ²²that they may judge the people at all times; and it shall be that they shall bring to thee every great matter, and that they shall judge every small matter, and they shall lighten the task on thee, and they shall bear it with thee.