Leaders Appointed

9 “At that time nI said to you, ‘I am not able to bear you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, oyou are today as numerous as the stars of heaven. 11 pMay the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, qas he has promised you! 12 rHow can I bear by myself the weight and burden of you and your strife? 13 sChoose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ 14 And you answered me, ‘The thing that you have spoken is good for us to do.’ 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, tand set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and ujudge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. 17 vYou shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for wthe judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall xbring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do.