Bible Verses About Rulers: Duties of

Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me; I judge between one person and another, and I explain to them God's laws and teachings."

You should also teach them the laws and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should do.

But you should choose from among all the people competent men who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

On the other hand, don't favor a person's lawsuit simply because he is poor.

"Do not deny anyone justice in his lawsuit simply because he is poor.

Keep away from fraud, and do not cause the death of the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.

"You are not to oppress a foreigner, for you know how a foreigner feels, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

"'Do not be unjust in judging - show neither partiality to the poor nor deference to the mighty, but with justice judge your neighbor.

You are to apply the same standard of judgment to the foreigner as to the citizen, because I am ADONAI your God."

"Let ADONAI, God of the spirits of all human beings, appoint a man to be over the community,

to go out and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that ADONAI's community will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

At that time I commissioned your judges, 'Hear the cases that arise between your brothers; and judge fairly between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is with him.

You are not to show favoritism when judging, but give equal attention to the small and to the great. No matter how a person presents himself, don't be afraid of him; because the decision is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me and I will hear it.'

"You are to appoint judges and officers for all your gates [in the cities] ADONAI your God is giving you, tribe by tribe; and they are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

You are not to distort justice or show favoritism, and you are not to accept a bribe, for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of even the upright.

Justice, only justice, you must pursue; so that you will live and inherit the land ADONAI your God is giving you.

However, he is not to acquire many horses for himself or have the people return to Egypt to obtain more horses, inasmuch as ADONAI told you never to go back that way again.

Likewise, he is not to acquire many wives for himself, so that his heart will not turn away; and he is not to acquire excessive quantities of silver and gold.

"When he has come to occupy the throne of his kingdom, he is to write a copy of this Torah for himself in a scroll, from the one the cohanim and L'vi'im use.

It is to remain with him, and he is to read in it every day, as long as he lives; so that he will learn to fear ADONAI his God and keep all the words of this Torah and these laws and obey them;

so that he will not think he is better than his kinsmen; and so that he will not turn aside either to the right or to the left from the mitzvah. In this way he will prolong his own reign and that of his children in Isra'el.

The judges are to investigate carefully. If they find that the witness is lying and has given false testimony against his brother,

you are to do to him what he intended to do to his brother. In this way, you will put an end to such wickedness among you.

"Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin.

"If people have a dispute, seek its resolution in court, and the judges render a decision in favor of the righteous one and condemning the wicked one;