13
The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.
14
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?"
15
And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because
1the people come to me to inquire of God;
16
2when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I
3make them know the statutes of God and his laws."
17
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
18
You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.
4You are not able to do it alone.
19
Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall
5represent the people before God and
6bring their cases to God,
20
and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know
7the way in which they must walk and
8what they must do.
21
Moreover, look for
9able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22
And
10let them judge the people at all times.
11Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will
12bear the burden with you.
23
If you do this, God will direct you, you will be
13able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace."
24
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
25
14Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26
And
15they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.
27
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and
16he went away to his own country.