Leaders Were Appointed

(Exodus 18.13-27)

Moses said:

⁹ Right after the Lord commanded us to leave Mount Sinai,^[a] I told you:

Israel, being your leader is too big a job for one person. ¹⁰ The Lord our God has blessed us, and so now there are as many of us as there are stars in the sky. ¹¹ God has even promised to bless us a thousand times more, and I pray that he will. ¹² But I cannot take care of all your problems and settle all your arguments alone. ¹³ Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes.

¹⁴ You answered, “That's a good idea!” ¹⁵ Then I took these men, who were already wise and respected leaders, and I appointed them as your official leaders. Some of them became military officers in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10, ¹⁶ and others became judges. I gave these judges the following instructions:

When you settle legal cases, your decisions must be fair. It doesn't matter if the case is between two Israelites, or between an Israelite and a foreigner living in your community. ¹⁷ And it doesn't matter if one is helpless and the other is powerful. Don't be afraid of anyone! No matter who shows up in your court, God will help you make a fair decision.

If any case is too hard for you, bring the people to me, and I will make the decision.

¹⁸ After I gave these instructions to the judges, I taught you the Lord's commands.