Exodus 18:13–26

¹³It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening.

¹⁴Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me ^ato inquire of God.

¹⁶“When they have a ^1adispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

¹⁷Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.

¹⁸“^aYou will surely wear out, both yourself and ¹these people who are with you, for the ²task is too heavy for you; ^byou cannot do it alone.

¹⁹“Now listen to ¹me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. ²You be the people’s representative before God, and you ^abring the ³disputes to God,

^20athen teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them ^bthe way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.

²¹“Furthermore, you shall ¹select out of all the people ^aable men ^bwho fear God, men of truth, those who ^chate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, ²of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

²²“Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be ^athat every major ¹dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and ^bthey will bear the burden with you.

²³“If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to ¹endure, and all ²these people also will go to ³their place in peace.”

²⁴So Moses listened ¹to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

²⁵Moses chose ^aable men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, ¹of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

²⁶They judged the people at all times; ^athe difficult ¹dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge.