rsv Exodus:18:13-27 SEEK
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On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people ,
and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening .
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When Moses '
father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people ,
he said , "
What is this that you are doing for the people ?
Why do you sit alone ,
and all the people stand about you from morning till evening ?"
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And Moses said to his father-in-law , "
Because the people come to me to inquire of God ;
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when they have a dispute ,
they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor ,
and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions ."
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Moses '
father-in-law said to him , "
What you are doing is not good .
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You and the people with you will wear yourselves out ,
for the thing is too heavy for you ;
you are not able to perform it alone .
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Listen now to my voice ;
I will give you counsel ,
and God be with you !
You shall represent the people before God ,
and bring their cases to God ;
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and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions ,
and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do .
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Moreover choose able men from all the people ,
such as fear God ,
men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe ;
and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands ,
of hundreds ,
of fifties ,
and of tens .
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And let them judge the people at all times ;
every great matter they shall bring to you ,
but any small matter they shall decide themselves ;
so it will be easier for you ,
and they will bear the burden with you .
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If you do this ,
and God so commands you ,
then you will be able to endure ,
and all this people also will go to their place in peace ."
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So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said .
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Moses chose able men out of all Israel ,
and made them heads over the people ,
rulers of thousands ,
of hundreds ,
of fifties ,
and of tens .
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And they judged the people at all times ;
hard cases they brought to Moses ,
but any small matter they decided themselves .
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Then Moses let his father-in-law depart ,
and he went his way to his own country .