Exodus 18:13–26

¹³And^c the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. ¹⁴And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone and all the people are standing by you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God. ¹⁶When they have an issue,^d it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God’s rule and his instructions.”

¹⁷And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who are with you, because the thing is too difficult^e for you. You are not able to do it alone. ¹⁹Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God. ²⁰And you warn them of the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. ²¹And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain,^f and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. ²²And let them judge the people all the time, and^g every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And so lighten it for yourself, and they will bear it with you. ²³If you will do this thing and God will command you, then you will be able to endure, and also each of the people will go to his home^h in peace.”

²⁴And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. ²⁵And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them as heads over the people, as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. ²⁶And they judged the people all the time; the difficult issuesⁱ they would bring to Moses, and every minor issue they would judge themselves.