16 When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God's commands and laws.”
17 Then Jethro said, “You are not doing this right.
18 You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone.
19 Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him.
20 You should teach them God's commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do.
21 But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed.
22 Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden.