出埃及記18:13-27

18:13 第二天，摩西坐著審判百姓，百姓從早到晚都站在摩西的左右。
18:14 摩西的岳父看見他向百姓所做的一切事，就說：「你向百姓做的是甚麼事呢？你為甚麼獨自坐著，眾百姓從早到晚都站在你的左右呢？」
18:15 摩西對岳父說：「這是因百姓到我這裡來求問上帝。
18:16 他們有事的時候就到我這裡來，我便在兩造之間施行審判；我又叫他們知道上帝的律例和法度。」
18:17 摩西的岳父說：「你這做的不好。
18:18 你和這些百姓必都疲憊；因為這事太重，你獨自一人辦理不了。
18:19 現在你要聽我的話。我為你出個主意，願上帝與你同在。你要替百姓到上帝面前，將案件奏告上帝；
18:20 又要將律例和法度教訓他們，指示他們當行的道，當做的事；
18:21 並要從百姓中揀選有才能的人，就是敬畏上帝、誠實無妄、恨不義之財的人，派他們作千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長，管理百姓，
18:22 叫他們隨時審判百姓，大事都要呈到你這裡，小事他們自己可以審判。這樣，你就輕省些，他們也可以同當此任。
18:23 你若這樣行，上帝也這樣吩咐你，你就能受得住，這百姓也都平平安安歸回他們的住處。」
18:24 於是，摩西聽從他岳父的話，按著他所說的去行。
18:25 摩西從以色列人中揀選了有才能的人，立他們為百姓的首領，作千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長。
18:26 他們隨時審判百姓，有難斷的案件就呈到摩西那裡，但各樣小事他們自己審判。
18:27 此後，摩西讓他的岳父去，他就往本地去了。

¹³ The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
¹⁵ Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. ¹⁹ Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. ²⁰ Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. ²¹ But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. ²³ If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²⁶ They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
²⁷ Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

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    摩西的岳父葉忒羅將家人帶到摩西面前後，就觀察摩西的生活，發現摩西為了處理百姓的事情缺乏智慧，於是向摩西建議：「你這做的不好。你和這些百姓必都疲憊；因為這事太重，你獨自一人辦理不了。」

    於是葉忒羅告訴摩西要分層負責，「從百姓中揀選有才能的人，就是敬畏上帝、誠實無妄、恨不義之財的人，派他們作千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長，管理百姓，叫他們隨時審判百姓，大事都要呈到你這裡，小事他們自己可以審判。這樣，你就輕省些，他們也可以同當此任。你若這樣行，上帝也這樣吩咐你，你就能受得住，這百姓也都平平安安歸回他們的住處。」

    就今天的管理學看法，這是信任與授權，層層負責，這樣頂層的領導人才能做他們該做的事情，才能發揮果效！就像今日的教會，為什麼要走小組化？如此才能充分牧養，在強大的牧者，若沒有用這樣的牧養方式，只有等著被「燒毀」（burn-out）！這樣不但沒有榮耀上帝，還讓自己垮掉，真是划不來呢！