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 ^(A)the people come to me to inquire of God; ^16 (B)when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I ^(C)make 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. ^(D)You are not able to do it alone. ¹⁹ Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall ^(E)represent the people before God and ^(F)bring their cases to God, ²⁰ and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know ^(G)the way in which they must walk and ^(H)what they must do. ²¹ Moreover, look for ^(I)able 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 ^(J)let them judge the people at all times. ^(K)Every 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 ^(L)bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this, God will direct you, you will be ^(M)able 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.

Justice

¹⁸ “You shall appoint ^(A)judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

¹⁷ then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, ^(A)before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. ¹⁸ The judges shall ^(B)inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely,