Deuteronomy 1:17

Justice Fear Integrity Poverty and the vulnerable

¹⁵ So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

¹⁶ And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

¹⁸ And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

¹⁹ And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
KJV: Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
WEB: You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”
ASV: Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God`s: and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.
DARBY: Ye shall not respect persons in judgment: ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's; and the matter that is too hard for you shall ye bring to me, that I may hear it.
BLB: You⁺ shall not discern faces in judgment; the small as well as the great you⁺ shall hear. You⁺ shall not be afraid of the face of any man, for the judgment, it [is] unto God. And the case that is too hard for you⁺, bring to me, and I will hear it.”

ÅB: Dere skal ikke gjøre forskjell på folk når dere dømmer; den minste som den største skal dere høre på. Dere skal ikke være redde for noen, for dommen hører Gud til. Men om noen sak er for vanskelig for dere, skal dere føre den fram for meg; så vil jeg høre på den.
OTB: Vis ikke partiskhet i dommen; hør både små og store likt. Frykt ingen, for dommen er Guds. Ta enhver sak som er for vanskelig for dere til meg, og jeg vil høre den.'
B1930: I skal ikke gjøre forskjell på folk når I dømmer; den minste som den største skal I høre på. I skal ikke være redde for nogen, for dommen hører Gud til. Men om nogen sak er for vanskelig for eder, skal I føre den frem for mig; så vil jeg høre på den.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 16:19
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Read in context
James 2:9
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Read in context
Exodus 18:26
And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Read in context
Leviticus 19:15
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 19:6
And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.
Read in context
Proverbs 24:23
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
Read in context
Exodus 18:22
And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
Read in context
James 2:1–5
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Read in context