Jethro Advises Moses

Jethro watches Moses sit alone to judge the people all day and asks why the whole burden rests on one man. Moses explains that the people come to him to inquire of God and to learn His statutes.

T¹³he next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening. ¹⁴When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?” ¹⁵“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied. ¹⁶“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”

Jethro says the present pattern is not good because it will wear out both Moses and the people. He tells Moses to keep bringing matters before God and teaching the people, while appointing trustworthy men to judge smaller cases so the burden is shared and the people leave in peace.

¹⁷But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. ¹⁹Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him. ²⁰Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. ²¹Furthermore, select capable men from among the people — God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²²Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. ²³If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”

Moses listens to Jethro, appoints capable men over Israel, and gives them responsibility for ordinary cases while the difficult ones still come to him. With the new order in place, Jethro returns to his own land.

²⁴Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²⁶And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves. ²⁷Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.