¹⁵ Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.^(A)

⁵ Moses brought their case before the Lord.^(A)

³⁴ They put him in custody because it was not clear what should be done to him.^(A)

Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges

⁸ “If a judicial decision is too difficult for you to make between one kind of bloodshed and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another—any such matters of dispute in your towns—then you shall immediately go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose,^{(A) 9} where you shall consult with the Levitical priests and the judge who is in office in those days; they shall announce to you the decision in the case.^{(B) 10} Carry out exactly the decision that they announce to you from the place that the Lord will choose, diligently observing everything they instruct you. ¹¹ You must carry out the law that they interpret for you or the ruling that they announce to you; do not turn aside from the decision that they announce to you, either to the right or to the left.^{(C) 12} As for anyone who presumes to disobey the priest appointed to minister there to the Lord your God or the judge, that person shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. ¹³ All the people will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again.^(D)

⁸ Moses said to them, “Wait, so that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”^(A)

⁶ Now there were certain people who were unclean through touching a corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day. They came before Moses and Aaron on that day^(A)

¹² and they put him in custody, until the decision of the Lord should be made clear to them.^(A)

¹³ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁴ “Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and let all who were within hearing lay their hands on his head, and let the whole congregation stone him.^(B)

¹⁹ Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God and bring their cases to God.^{(A) 20} Teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do.^(B)