² They came before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the chiefs and all the people at the door of the Tent of meeting, and said,

¹³ Now on the day after, Moses took his seat to give decisions for the people: and the people were waiting before Moses from morning till evening.

¹⁴ And when Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing, he said, What is this you are doing for the people? why are you seated here by yourself, with all the people waiting before you from morning till evening?

¹⁹ Give ear now to my suggestion, and may God be with you: you are to be the people's representative before God, taking their causes to him:

²⁰ Teaching them his rules and his laws, guiding them in the way they have to go, and making clear to them the work they have to do.

²¹ But for the rest, take from among the people able men, such as have the fear of God, true men hating profits wrongly made; and put such men over them, to be captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and of tens;

²² And let them be judges in the causes of the people at all times: and let them put before you all important questions, but in small things let them give decisions themselves: in this way, it will be less hard for you, and they will take the weight off you.

²³ If you do this, and God gives approval, then you will be able to go on without weariness, and all this people will go to their tents in peace.

²⁴ So Moses took note of the words of his father-in-law, and did as he had said.

²⁵ And he made selection of able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and of tens.

²⁶ And they were judges in the causes of the people at all times: the hard questions they put before Moses; but on every small point they gave decisions themselves.

³³ And those who saw him getting sticks took him before Moses and Aaron and all the people.

³⁴ And they had him shut up, because they had no directions about what was to be done with him.

⁸ If you are not able to give a decision as to who is responsible for a death, or who is right in a cause, or who gave the first blow in a fight, and there is a division of opinion about it in your town: then go to the place marked out by the Lord your God;

⁹ And come before the priests, the Levites, or before him who is judge at the time: and they will go into the question and give you a decision:

¹⁰ And you are to be guided by the decision they give in the place named by the Lord, and do whatever they say: