¹³ Choose some wise, understanding and respected men^(A) from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

¹⁴ You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

¹⁵ So I took^(B) the leading men of your tribes,^(C) wise and respected men,^(D) and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders^(E) of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.^{(F) 16} And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge^(G) fairly,^(H) whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.^{(I) 17} Do not show partiality^(J) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,^(K) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”^(L)

Law Courts

⁸ If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge^(A)—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults^(B)—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.^{(C) 9} Go to the Levitical^(D) priests and to the judge^(E) who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.^{(F) 10} You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do. ¹¹ Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.^{(G) 12} Anyone who shows contempt^(H) for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering^(I) there to the Lord your God is to be put to death.^(J) You must purge the evil from Israel.^{(K) 13} All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.^(L)

¹⁷ the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges^(A) who are in office at the time.

⁵ The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings^(A) in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.^(B)

¹³ The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁵ Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.^{(A) 16} Whenever they have a dispute,^(B) it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”^(C)

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.^{(D) 19} Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.^(E) You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes^(F) to him. ²⁰ Teach them his decrees and instructions,^(G) and show them the way they are to live^(H) and how they are to behave.^{(I) 21} But select capable men^(J) from all the people—men who fear^(K) God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain^(L)—and appoint them as officials^(M) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case^(N) to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share^(O) it with you. ²³ If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders^(P) of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.^{(Q) 26} They served as judges^(R) for the people at all times. The difficult cases^(S) they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.^(T)

⁵ He appointed judges^(A) in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. ⁶ He told them, “Consider carefully what you do,^(B) because you are not judging for mere mortals^(C) but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. ⁷ Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice^(D) or partiality^(E) or bribery.”

⁸ In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites,^(F) priests^(G) and heads of Israelite families to administer^(H) the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. ⁹ He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. ¹⁰ In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations—you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord;^(I) otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.

¹¹ “Amariah the chief priest will be over you in any matter concerning the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be over you in any matter concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act with courage,^(J) and may the Lord be with those who do well.”