Deuteronomy 1:9-18

9“And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘1I am not able to endure you alone. 10The Lord your God has 2multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number. 11May the Lord, the God of your fathers increase you a thousand times more than you are, and bless you, 3just as He has 4promised you! 12How can I alone endure the burden and weight of you and your strife? 135Obtain for yourselves men who are wise, discerning, and informed from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ 14And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have said to do is good.’ 15So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and informed men, and 6appointed them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, 7hundreds, 8fifties, and 9tens, and officers for your tribes.

16“Then I ordered your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen and 10judge righteously between a person and his fellow countryman, or the stranger who is with him. 1711You are not to 12show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You are 13not to be afraid of any person, for the judgment is God’s. 14The case that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18At that time 15I commanded you all the things that you were to do.