Deuteronomy 1:16
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. 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.
Moses gave this charge to the leaders he had appointed over Israel, the able men chosen from all the people and made heads over them, the seventy elders, speaking it before the congregation as part of his recounting of Israel's experiences and instructions just before entering the land. In its setting in the first chapter, it stands where the reason is given why the adult army that left Egypt was refused entry to the promised land. God's promises rest upon condition of obedience, keeping His judgments and ordinances and statutes brings life, and disobedience leads Him to alter His purpose toward Israel.
The command required those judges to hear the causes between brethren and to judge righteously both between one Israelite and another and between an Israelite and the resident stranger or foreigner living among them. Their decisions were to be governed by equity, without partiality, favoritism, or fear of anyone. They were to hear the small and the great alike and to refuse to be intimidated by powerful or wicked people. They were to accept no bribes.
Such impartiality was required because judgment belongs to God and judging is a conscientious responsibility entrusted by Him. Cases too difficult for them were to be brought to Moses. With him the qualified judges shared the responsibilities of government while remaining loyal and faithful.
The charge thus shows the character required for wise leadership and for sharing the burdens of God's work. Those chosen are to be capable, God-fearing, truthful men, free from covetousness, entrusted with the duty of impartial, righteous judgment. As such it remains a model of judicial integrity for judges and legislators in modern times and a lesson from God's Word for all carrying heavy responsibilities. The history in Deuteronomy 1 was to be repeated so the people could learn from failures and victories, and to be read in full as words written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world have come, calling them to follow the Lord's guidance fully rather than human judgment and opinion and to perfect character after Christ's self-denying, self-sacrificing example.