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9“And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to endure you alone. 10The Lord your God has multiplied 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, just as He has promised you! 12How can I alone endure the burden and weight of you and your strife? 13Obtain 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 appointed them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and officers for your tribes.
16“Then I ordered your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen and judge righteously between a person and his fellow countryman, or the stranger who is with him. 17You are not to show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You are not to be afraid of any person, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18At that time I commanded you all the things that you were to do.