Exodus 18:17–27

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.

²⁷Then Moses ^1abade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.