¹⁸ “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your ^[a]towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Reforms Instituted

⁵ He appointed ^(A)judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. ⁶ He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for ^(B)you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you ^[a]when you render judgment. ⁷ Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; ^[b]be very careful what you do, for ^[c]the Lord our God will ^(C)have no part in unrighteousness ^(D)or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

⁸ In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some ^(E)of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord and to judge ^[d]disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ⁹ Then he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly. ^10 (F)Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the Lord, and ^(G)wrath may not come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty. ¹¹ Behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in ^[e](H)all that pertains to the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in ^[f]all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. ^[g](I)Act resolutely, and the Lord be with the upright.”