"You shall appointfor yourself judgesand officersin allyour townswhichthe LORDyour Godis givingyou, according to your tribes,and they shall judgethe peoplewith righteousjudgment.
Of these,24000were to overseethe workof the houseof the LORD;and 6,000[were] officersand judges,
As for the Izharites,Chenaniahand his sonswere [assigned] to outsidedutiesfor Israel,as officersand judges.
"You, Ezra,according to the wisdomof your Godwhichis in your hand,appointmagistratesand judgesthat they may judgeallthe peoplewhoare in [the province] beyondthe River,[even] allthose who knowthe lawsof your God;and you may teachanyone whois ignorant[of them].
"Furthermore, you shall selectout of allthe peopleablemenwho fearGod,menof truth,those who hatedishonestgain;and you shall place[these] overthem [as] leadersof thousands,of hundreds,of fiftiesand of tens.
"Ifmenstrugglewith each other and strikea womanwith childso that she givesbirthprematurely,yet there is noinjury,he shall surelybe finedas the woman'shusbandmay demandof him, and he shall payas the judges[decide].
then his mastershall bringhim to God,then he shall bringhim to the doororthe doorpost.And his mastershall piercehis earwith an awl;and he shall servehim permanently.
Her husbandis knownin the gates,When he sitsamongthe eldersof the land.
"You have heardthat the ancientswere told,YOU SHALL NOT COMMITMURDERand 'Whoevercommits murdershall be liableto the court.'
"But I sayto you that everyonewho is angrywith his brothershall be guiltybefore the court;and whoeversaysto his brother,You good-for-nothing,'shall be guiltybefore the supreme court;and whoeversays,'You fool,'shall be guilty[enough to go] into the fieryhell.
"Everymanshall giveas he is able,according to the blessingof the LORDyour GodwhichHe has givenyou.
"You shall not distortjustice;you shall not be partial,and you shall not takea bribe,for a bribeblindsthe eyesof the wiseand pervertsthe wordsof the righteous.
"The manwhoactspresumptuouslyby not listeningto the priestwho standsthereto servethe LORDyour God,norto the judge,that manshall die;thus you shall purgethe evilfrom Israel.
"So you shall cometo the Leviticalpriestor the judgewhois [in office] in thosedays,and you shall inquire[of them] and they will declareto you the verdictin the case.
then your eldersand your judgesshall goout and measure[the distance] to the citieswhichare aroundthe slainone.
"Ifthere is a disputebetweenmenand they goto court,and the judgesdecidetheir case, and they justifythe righteousand condemnthe wicked,
And it cameabout whenSamuelwas oldthat he appointedhis sonsjudgesover Israel.
