Exodus 18:13-27

¹³And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. ¹⁴Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” ¹⁷Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. ¹⁹Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, ²⁰then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. ²¹Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²²Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you. ²³If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their places in peace.”

²⁴So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. ²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²⁶Then they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. ²⁷Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went his way to his own land.