Exodus 18:13-26

New Catholic Bible

¹³ Moses Institutes the Judges.^[a] The next day Moses sat in judgment over the people of Israel. All the people stood before Moses from morning until the evening. ¹⁴ Jethro, seeing what he was doing for the people, said to him, “What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit in judgment alone, while the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ Moses answered his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire the will of God. ¹⁶ When they have some question, they come to me and I judge the matter between them and let them know the statutes of God and his laws.”

¹⁷ The father-in-law of Moses told him, “What you are doing is no good. ¹⁸ You will surely wear yourself out, you and the people with you, because this job is too difficult for you. You cannot do it alone. ¹⁹ Now, listen to me. I wish to give you some advice, and God be with you. You must act as the people’s representative before God and bring their cases before him. ²⁰ You will explain the decrees and the laws to them. You will direct them along the way that they should go and teach the things that they must do. ²¹ You will also choose virtuous men who fear God from among the people, honest men who are not filled with greed, and you will make them leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²² They must judge the people at all times. When there is an important matter, they will refer it to you, but they will judge all the minor issues. Thus, they will lighten the burden upon you, for they will carry it with you. ²³ If you do this thing and if God commands this of you, then you will be able to continue and this people will arrive in peace at its destination.”

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law’s suggestion, and he did what he had suggested that he do. ²⁵ Moses chose capable men from among all the men of Israel, and he appointed them as leaders of the people, as leaders of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²⁶ They judged the people at all times. When there was a difficult matter, they referred it to Moses, but they themselves judged all the minor issues.