Exodus 18:13-27 - Jethro's Wise Advice

¹³ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening. ¹⁴ And when Moses father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even?

¹⁵ And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: ¹⁶ when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

¹⁷ And Moses father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. ¹⁸ Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. ¹⁹ Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God: ²⁰ and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. ²¹ Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: ²² and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. ²³ If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace.

²⁴ So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. ²⁵ And 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. ²⁶ And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

²⁷ And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.