Exodus 18:21-27

New King James Version

²¹Moreover you shall select from all the people ^(A)able men, such as ^(B)fear God, ^(C)men of truth, ^(D)hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²²And let them judge the people at all times. ^(E)Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for ^(F)they will bear the burden with you. ²³If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their ^(G)place in peace.”

²⁴So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵And ^(H)Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶So they judged the people at all times; the ^(I)hard^[a] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

²⁷Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and ^(J)he went his way to his own land.

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Footnotes

Exodus 18:26 difficult matters

Exodus 18:21-27

New International Version

²¹But select capable men^(A) from all the people—men who fear^(B) God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain^(C)—and appoint them as officials^(D) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²²Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case^(E) to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share^(F) it with you. ²³If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

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