2 Chronicles 19:5–10

⁵He appointed judges in each of the fortified cities of Judah ⁶and instructed them: “Be careful in pronouncing judgement; you are not acting on human authority, but on the authority of the Lord, and he is with you when you pass sentence. ⁷Honour the Lord and act carefully, because the Lord our God does not tolerate fraud or partiality or the taking of bribes.”

⁸In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests, and some of the leading citizens as judges in cases involving a violation of the Law of the Lord or legal disputes between inhabitants of the city.^{c 9}He gave them the following instructions: “You must perform your duties in reverence for the Lord, faithfully obeying him in everything you do. ¹⁰Whenever your fellow-citizens from any of the cities bring before you a case of homicide or any other violation of a law or commandment, you must instruct them carefully how to conduct themselves during the trial, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against the Lord. Unless you do, you and your fellow-citizens will feel the force of the Lord’s anger. But if you do your duty, you will not be guilty.