Deuteronomy 1:13

Contemporary English Version

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.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Take wise men of understanding and well known according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

King James Version
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

Lexham English Bible
Choose for yourselves wise and discerning and knowledgeable men for each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.'

English Standard Version
Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.'

New Century Version
So choose some men from each tribe—wise men who have understanding and experience—and I will make them leaders over you."

New English Translation
Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders."

Amplified Bible
'Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, experienced, and respected men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as heads (leaders) over you.'

New American Standard Bible
'Obtain for yourselves men who are wise, discerning, and informed from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Bring you men of wisedome and of vnderstanding, and knowen among your tribes, and I will make them rulers ouer you:

Legacy Standard Bible
Choose wise and understanding and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.'

Complete Jewish Bible
Pick for yourselves from each of your tribes men who are wise, understanding and knowledgeable; and I will make them heads over you.'

Darby Translation
Provide you wise and understanding and known men, according to your tribes, that I may make them your chiefs.

Easy-to-Read Version
So choose some men from each tribe, and I will make them leaders over you. Choose wise men with experience who understand people.'

George Lamsa Translation
Choose for yourselves wise men, who have understanding and are renowned among your tribes, and I will make them chiefs over you.

Good News Translation
Choose some wise, understanding, and experienced men from each tribe, and I will put them in charge of you.'

Christian Standard Bible®
Appoint for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.

Literal Translation
Give wise and understanding men, and those known to your tribes, and I will appoint them rulers over you.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Prouyde here men of wyßdome & vnderstondinge, soch as are knowne amonge youre trybes, the wil I set to be heades vnto you.

American Standard Version
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

Bible in Basic English
Take for yourselves men who are wise, far-seeing, and respected among you, from your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Bryng you men of wysdome, and of vnderstanding, and expert, accordyng to your tribes, and I wyll make them rulers ouer you.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Get you, from each one of your tribes, wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over you.'

King James Version (1611)
Take ye wise men, and vnderstanding, and knowen among your tribes, and I will make them rulers ouer you.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Take to yourselves wise and understanding and prudent men for your tribes, and I will set your leaders over you.

English Revised Version
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

Berean Standard Bible
Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and witti `in mennus thingis worthi to be don, whose conuersacioun is preued in youre lynagis, that Y sette hem princes to you.

Young's Literal Translation
Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads;

Update Bible Version
Take yourselves wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take ye wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

World English Bible
Take wise men of understanding and well known according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

New King James Version
Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.'

New Living Translation
Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.'

New Life Bible
Choose wise, understanding and able men from your family groups. And I will make them leaders over you.'

New Revised Standard
Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Set forth for you - men wise and discerning, and known to your tribes, - that I may appoint them to be heads over you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let me have from among you wise and understanding men, and such whose conversation is approved among your tribes, that I may appoint them your rulers.

Revised Standard Version
Choose wise, understanding, and experienced men, according to your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.'

Contextual Overview

⁹ Moses said: Right 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, ¹⁶ and others became judges. I gave these judges the following instructions: When you settle legal cases, your decisions must be fair. It doesn't matter if the case is between two Israelites, or between an Israelite and a foreigner living in your community. ¹⁷ And it doesn't matter if one is helpless and the other is powerful. Don't be afraid of anyone! No matter who shows up in your court, God will help you make a fair decision. If any case is too hard for you, bring the people to me, and I will make the decision. ¹⁸ After I gave these instructions to the judges, I taught you the Lord 's commands.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Take: Heb. Give, Exodus 18:21, Numbers 11:16, Numbers 11:17, Acts 1:21-23, Acts 6:2-6

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:33 - look out Numbers 30:1 - General Micah 3:1 - Is it Acts 6:3 - look

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Take ye wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes,.... Not only whose persons were well known, but their characters and qualifications, for their probity and integrity, for their wisdom and prudence in the management of affairs, for their skill and knowledge in things divine and human, civil and religious, and for their capacity in judging and determining matters in difference; see

Exodus 18:21

and I will make them rulers over you; the people were allowed to choose their own officers, whom they were to bring to Moses, and present before him, to be invested with their office. A like method was taken in the choice and constitution of deacons in the Christian church, when the secular affairs of it lay too heavy upon the apostles, Acts 6:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This appointment of the “captains” (compare Exodus 18:21 ff) must not be confounded with that of the elders in Numbers 11:16 ff. The former would number 78,600; the latter were 70 only.

A comparison between this passage and that in Exodus makes it obvious that Moses is only touching on certain parts of the whole history, without regard to order of time, but with a special purpose. This important arrangement for the good government of the people took place before they left Horeb to march direct to the promised land. This fact sets more clearly before us the perverseness and ingratitude of the people, to which the orator next passes; and shows, what he was anxious to impress, that the fault of the 40 years’ delay rested only with themselves!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 1:13. Take you wise men — חכמים chachamim, such as had gained knowledge by great labour and study. Understanding נבנים nebonim, persons of discernment, judicious men. Known, ידעים yeduim, persons practised in the operations of nature, capable of performing curious and important works.