Exodus 18:13-26

Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹³ The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”^(A)

¹⁷ “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. ¹⁸ “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.^{(B) 19} Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. ²⁰ Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.^{(C) 21} But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes.^(D) Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.^{(E) 22} They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,^[a] and they will bear it with you.^{(F) 23} If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”^[b]

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²⁶ They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.