Deuteronomy 16:18

⁴David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the LORD’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

¹Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. ²Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, ⁴for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. ⁵Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ⁶For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing.

⁹You shall come to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who shall be in those days. You shall inquire, and they shall give you the verdict.

¹⁷then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; ¹⁸and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,

⁵He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, ⁶and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man, but for the LORD; and he is with you in the judgment. ⁷Now therefore let the fear of the LORD be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

⁸Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites, priests, and heads of the fathers’ households of Israel to give judgment for the LORD and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem. ⁹He commanded them, saying, “You shall do this in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. ¹⁰Whenever any controversy comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you must warn them, that they not be guilty toward the LORD, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and you will not be guilty. ¹¹Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may the LORD be with the good.”

²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

²⁹Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

¹²The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel.

¹⁵So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and respected men, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes. ¹⁶I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him. ¹⁷You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

⁶then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.