Exodus 18:21

Jethro's Visit

²⁰ Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. ²¹ But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²² They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you.

Fear of God

Acts 6:3

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

2 Chronicles 19:5-10

He appointed judges in all the fortified cities of the land of Judah, city by city.

Deuteronomy 16:18-19

“Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

Genesis 42:18

On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live.

Exodus 18:25

So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

2 Samuel 23:3

The God of Israel spoke;
the Rock of Israel said to me,
“The one who rules the people with justice,
who rules in the fear of God,

Ezekiel 18:8

He doesn’t lend at interest or for profit but keeps his hand from wrongdoing and carries out true justice between men.

Genesis 22:12

Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.”

Exodus 23:2-9

“You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice.

Numbers 10:4

However, if one is sounded, only the leaders, the heads of Israel’s clans, are to gather before you.

Deuteronomy 1:13-17

Appoint for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.

Joshua 22:14

They sent 10 leaders with him—one family leader for each tribe of Israel. All of them were heads of their families among the clans of Israel.

1 Samuel 8:3

However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

1 Samuel 8:12

He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground or reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war or the equipment for his chariots.

1 Samuel 12:3-4

Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”

1 Kings 3:9-12

So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

1 Kings 18:3

Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord

1 Kings 18:12

But when I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord may carry you off to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth.

Nehemiah 5:9

Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?

Nehemiah 7:2

Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

Job 29:16

I was a father to the needy,
and I examined the case of the stranger.

Job 31:13

If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants
when they made a complaint against me,

Psalm 15:5

who does not lend his money at interest
or take a bribe against the innocent—
the one who does these things will never be moved.

Psalm 26:9-10

Do not destroy me along with sinners,
or my life along with men of bloodshed

Proverbs 28:2

When a land is in rebellion, it has many rulers,
but with a discerning and knowledgeable person, it endures.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity.

Isaiah 16:5

Then in the tent of David
a throne will be established by faithful love.
A judge who seeks what is right
and is quick to execute justice
will sit on the throne forever.

Isaiah 33:15

The one who lives righteously
and speaks rightly,
who refuses gain from extortion,
whose hand never takes a bribe,
who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots
and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil—

Isaiah 59:4

No one makes claims justly;
no one pleads honestly.
They trust in empty and worthless words;
they conceive trouble and give birth to iniquity.

Isaiah 59:14-15

Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far off.
For truth has stumbled in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.

Jeremiah 5:1

Roam through the streets of Jerusalem.
Look and take note;
search in her squares.
If you find one person,
any who acts justly,
who seeks to be faithful,
then I will forgive her.

Ezekiel 22:12

People who live in you accept bribes in order to shed blood. You take interest and profit on a loan and brutally extort your neighbors. You have forgotten Me.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Zechariah 7:9

“The Lord of Hosts says this: Make fair decisions. Show faithful love and compassion to one another.

Zechariah 8:16

These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your gates.

Luke 18:2

“There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect man.

Luke 18:4

“For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man,

Acts 20:33

I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

1 Timothy 3:3

not addicted to wine, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy—

1 Timothy 6:9-11

But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.

2 Peter 2:14-15

They have eyes full of adultery and are always looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse!