Scripture also speaks to a leader’s
relationship with those working under him in government. Here are some of those
verses. The quotes are from the New
Jerusalem Bible, accompanied by hyperlinks to other translations.
On the following day, Moses
took his seat to administer justice for the people, and the people were
standing round him from morning till evening.14Seeing all he did for
the people, Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'Why do you do this for the
people, why sit here alone with the people standing round you from morning till
evening?' 15Moses replied to his father-in-law, 'Because the people
come to me to consult God. 16 When they have a problem they come to me, and I
give a ruling between the one and the other and make God's statutes and laws
known to them.' 17 Moses' father-in-law then said to him, 'What you
are doing is not right. 18You will only tire yourself out, and the
people with you too, for the work is too heavy for you. You cannot do it all
yourself.19Now listen to the advice I am going to give you, and God
be with you! Your task is to represent the people to God, to lay their cases
before God, 20and to teach them the statutes and laws, and show them
the way they ought to follow and how they ought to behave. 21At the
same time, from the people at large choose capable and God-fearing men, men who
are trustworthy and incorruptible, and put them in charge of them as heads of
thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, 22and make them the people's
permanent judges. They will refer all important matters to you, but all minor
matters they will decide themselves, so making things easier for you by sharing
the burden with you. 23If you do this -- and may God so command you
-- you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home
satisfied.'
24Moses took his father-in-law's advice and did
just as he said. 25Moses chose capable men from all Israel and put
them in charge of the people as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
26These acted as the people's permanent judges. They referred hard
cases to Moses but decided minor matters themselves.
Moses heard the people
weeping, each family at the door of its tent. Yahweh's anger was greatly
aroused; Moses too found it disgraceful, 11and he said to Yahweh:
'Why do you treat your servant so badly? In what respect have I failed to win
your favor, for you to lay the burden of all these people on me? 12Was
it I who conceived all these people, was I their father, for you to say to me,
"Carry them in your arms, like a foster-father carrying an unweaned child,
to the country which I swore to give their fathers"? 13Where am
I to find meat to give all these people, pestering me with their tears and
saying, "Give us meat to eat"? 14I cannot carry all these
people on my own; the weight is too much for me. 15If this is how
you mean to treat me, please kill me outright! If only I could win your favor
and be spared the sight of my misery!'
16Yahweh said to Moses, 'Collect me seventy of
the elders of Israel, men you know to be the people's elders and scribes. Bring
them to the Tent of Meeting, and let them stand beside you there.17I
shall come down and talk to you there and shall take some of the spirit which
is on you and put it on them. Then they will bear the burden of the people with
you, and you will no longer have to bear it on your own.
'At the same time, I told
you, "I cannot be responsible for you by myself.10Yahweh your God
has increased your numbers, until you are now as numerous as the stars of
heaven.11And Yahweh your God is going to increase you a thousand
times more, and bless you as he has promised you.12So how can I cope
by myself with the bitter burden that you are, and with your bickering? 13From
each of your tribes pick wise, shrewd and experienced men for me to make your
leaders." 14You replied, "Your plan is good."15So I took your tribal leaders, wise, experienced
men, and appointed them to lead you, as captains of thousands, hundreds,
fifties, tens, and as scribes for your tribes. 16At that same time I
told your judges, "You must give your brothers a fair hearing and see justice
done between one person and his brother or the foreigner living with him. 17You
must be impartial in judgment and give an equal hearing to small and great
alike. Do not be afraid of any human person, for the verdict is God's. Should a
case be too difficult, bring it for me to hear. 18And on that
occasion I gave you instructions about everything you were to do."
Eliashib the high priest
with his brother priests then set to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate; they made
the framework, hung its doors, fixed its bolts and bars and proceeded as far as
the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2The men of Jericho
built next to him; Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. 3The sons
of Ha-Senaah rebuilt the Fish Gate; they made the framework, hung its doors and
fixed its bolts and bars. 4Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz,
carried out repairs next to them; Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of
Meshezabel, carried out repairs next to him; and Zadok son of Baana carried out
repairs next to him. 5The men of Tekoa carried out repairs next to
him, though their nobles would not demean themselves to help their masters. 6Joiada
son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the gate of the New
Quarter; they made the framework, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. 7Next
to them repairs were carried out by Melatiah of Gibeon, Jadon of Meronoth, and
the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, for the sake of the governor of Transeuphrates. 8Next
to them repairs were carried out by Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a member of the
metal-workers' guild, and next to him repairs were carried out by Hananiah of
the perfumers' guild. These renovated the wall of Jerusalem as far as the Broad
Wall. 9Next to them repairs were carried out by Rephaiah son of Hur,
who was head of one half of the district of Jerusalem. 10Next to
them Jedaiah son of Harumaph carried out repairs opposite his own house; next
to him repairs were carried out by Hattush son of Hashabneiah. 11Malchijah
son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section as far as
the Furnace Tower. 12Next to them repairs were carried out by
Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of the other half of the district of Jerusalem,
by him and his sons.13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired
the Valley Gate: they rebuilt it, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars;
they also repaired a thousand cubits of wall up to the Dung Gate. 14Malchijah
son of Rechab, head of the district of Beth-ha-Cherem, repaired the Dung Gate;
he rebuilt it, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. 15Shallum
son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate;
he rebuilt it, roofed it, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. He also
rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloah, adjoining the king's garden, as far as
the steps going down from the City of David. 16After him, Nehemiah
son of Azbuk, head of half the district of Beth-Zur, carried out repairs from a
point opposite the Davidic Tombs to the artificial pool and the House of the
Champions. 17After him, repairs were carried out by the Levites:
Rehum son of Bani; and next to him Hashabiah, head of one half of the district
of Keilah, carried out repairs for his own district. 18After him,
repairs were carried out by their brothers: Binnui son of Henadad, head of the
other half of the district of Keilah.
19Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, headman of
Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent to the armoury at the
Angle. 20After him, Baruch son of Zabbai repaired another section
from the Angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21After
him, Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, repaired another section from the
door of Eliashib's house as far as the end of Eliashib's house. 22And
after him repairs were carried out by the priests who lived in the district.
Now, when the wall had been
rebuilt and I had hung the doors, the gatekeepers (the singers and the Levites)
were then appointed. 2I entrusted the administration of Jerusalem to
my brother Hanani, and to Hananiah the commander of the citadel, for he was a
more trustworthy, God-fearing man than many others.
As supervisors of the
storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah one of
the Levites and, as their assistant, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah,
since they were considered reliable people; their duty was to make the
distributions to their kinsmen.
Upright lips are welcome to a king; he loves
someone of honest words.
From silver remove the dross
and it emerges wholly purified; 5from the king's presence remove the
wicked and on uprightness his throne is founded.
When a ruler listens to
false reports, all his ministers will be scoundrels.
As the magistrate is, so will
his officials be, as the governor is, so will be the inhabitants of his city.
About this time, when the
number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the
Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. 2So
the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, 'It would
not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; 3you,
brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation,
filled with the Spirit and with wisdom, to whom we can hand over this duty. 4We
ourselves will continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the
word.' 5The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to
Judaism. 6They presented these to the apostles, and after prayer
they laid their hands on them.
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