Holy Bible: Easy-To-Read Version

Deuteronomy 1:16-23 Holy Bible: Easy-To-Read Version (ETR)

16. “At that time I told these judges, ‘Listen to the arguments between your people. Be fair when you judge each case. It doesn’t matter if the problem is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner. You must judge each case fairly.

17. You must treat everyone the same when you judge. You must listen carefully to everyone—whether they are important or not. Don’t be afraid of anyone, because your decision is from God. But if there is a case too hard for you to judge, bring it to me and I will judge it.’

18. At that same time I also told you everything you must do.

19. “So we obeyed the Lord our God. We left Mount Horeb and went to the hill country of the Amorites. You remember that big, terrible desert that we walked through. We came as far as Kadesh Barnea.

20. Then I said to you, ‘You have now come to the hill country of the Amorites. The Lord our God will give us this country.

21. Look, there it is! Go up and take the land for your own. The Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you to do this, so don’t be afraid or worry about anything.’

22. “But all of you came to me and said, ‘Let’s send some men to look at the land first. They can spy out the land and come back and tell us the way we should go and which cities we will come to.’

23. “I thought that was a good idea. So I chose twelve men from among you, one man from each tribe.