Deuteronomy 1:9-18 - Leaders For The Tribes

⁹ "And I spoke to them at that time, {saying}, 'I am not able to bear you alone. ¹⁰ Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and look; you [are] today as the stars of the heaven {in number}. ¹¹ Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, may he add to you as you are [now] a thousand times, and may he bless you just as he {promised you}. ¹² How can I bear you {by myself}, your burden and your load and your strife? ¹³ Choose for yourselves {wise and discerning and knowledgeable men} for [each of] your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.'

¹⁴ "And you answered me, and you said, 'The thing you have said to do is good.'

¹⁵ And so I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and [then] I appointed them as leaders over you [as] commanders of [groups of] thousands and commanders of [groups of] hundreds and commanders of [groups of] fifties and commanders of [groups of] tens [as] officials for your tribes. ¹⁶ And at that time I instructed your judges, saying, '{hear out your fellow men}, and [then] judge fairly between a man and between his brother and between {his opponent who is a resident alien}. ¹⁷ You must not {be partial} {in your judgment}; hear [out] the small [person] as [also] the great [person]; {do not be intimidated by any person}, because the judgment [is] God's; and the case that is too difficult for you, bring [it] to me, and I will hear it [out].' ¹⁸ And so I instructed you at that time [concerning] all [of] the things that you should do.