“And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘(A)I am not able to endure you alone. 10 The Lord your God has (B)multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number. 11 May the Lord, the God of your fathers increase you a thousand times more than you are, and bless you, (C)just as He has [a]promised you! 12 How can I alone endure the burden and weight of you and your strife? 13 (D)Obtain for yourselves men who are wise, discerning, and informed from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ 14 And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have said to do is good.’ 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and informed men, and [b]appointed them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, [c]hundreds, [d]fifties, and [e]tens, and officers for your tribes.

16 “Then I ordered your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen and (E)judge righteously between a person and his fellow countryman, or the stranger who is with him. 17 (F)You are not to [f]show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You are (G)not to be afraid of any person, for the judgment is God’s. (H)The case that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18 At that time (I)I commanded you all the things that you were to do.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 1:11 Lit spoken to
  2. Deuteronomy 1:15 Lit gave them as
  3. Deuteronomy 1:15 Lit commanders of
  4. Deuteronomy 1:15 Lit commanders of
  5. Deuteronomy 1:15 Lit commanders of
  6. Deuteronomy 1:17 Lit recognize faces

And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:

10 The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11 (The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)

12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.

15 So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

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“At that time I told the people, ‘I need help! You are a great burden for me to carry all by myself, 10 for the Lord has multiplied you to become as many as the stars! 11 And may he multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised, 12 but what can one man do to settle all your quarrels and problems? 13 So choose some men from each tribe who are wise, experienced, and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

14 “They agreed to this; 15 I took the men they selected, some from every tribe, and appointed them as administrative assistants in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens to decide their quarrels and assist them in every way. 16 I instructed them to be perfectly fair at all times, even to foreigners. 17 ‘When giving your decisions,’ I told them, ‘never favor a man because he is rich; be fair to great and small alike. Don’t fear their displeasure, for you are judging in the place of God. Bring me any cases too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’ 18 And I gave them other instructions at that time also.

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