9 Straight after the Lord commanded us to leave Mount Sinai, I told you:Israel, being your leader is too big a job for one person.
10 The Lord our God has blessed us, and so now there are as many of us as there are stars in the sky.
11 God has even promised to bless us a thousand times more, and I pray that he will.
12 But I cannot take care of all your problems and settle all your arguments alone.
13 Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes.
14 You answered, “That's a good idea!”
15 Then I took these men, who were already wise and respected leaders, and I appointed them as your official leaders. Some of them became military officers in charge of groups of a thousand, or a hundred, or fifty, or ten,