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Contemporary English Version

Deuteronomy 1:9

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Israel;   Moses;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Beast;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Deuteronomy, the Book of;   Judges;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Judge;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
King James Version
And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Lexham English Bible
"And I spoke to them at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear you alone.
English Standard Version
"At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able to bear you by myself.
New Century Version
At that time I said, "I am not able to take care of you by myself.
New English Translation
I also said to you at that time, "I am no longer able to sustain you by myself.
Amplified Bible
"I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.
New American Standard Bible
"And I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I am not able to endure you alone.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I spake vnto you the same time, saying, I am not able to beare you my selfe alone:
Legacy Standard Bible
"And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.
Complete Jewish Bible
"At that time I told you, ‘You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone.
Darby Translation
And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone.
Easy-to-Read Version
"At that time I told you, ‘I can't take care of you by myself.
George Lamsa Translation
And I said to you at that time, I am not able to bear you myself alone;
Good News Translation
Moses said to the people, "While we were still at Mount Sinai, I told you, ‘The responsibility for leading you is too much for me. I can't do it alone.
Christian Standard Bible®
“I said to you at that time: I can’t bear the responsibility for you on my own.
Literal Translation
And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you by myself.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then saide I vnto you at the same tyme: I am not able to beare you my self alone,
American Standard Version
And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Bible in Basic English
At that time I said to you, I am not able to undertake the care of you by myself;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I spake vnto you in the same time, saying: I am not able to beare you my selfe alone.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I spoke unto you at that time, saying: 'I am not able to bear you myself alone;
King James Version (1611)
And I spake vnto you at that time, saying, I am not able to beare you my selfe alone:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I shall not be able by myself to bear you.
English Revised Version
And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Berean Standard Bible
At that time I said to you, "I cannot carry the burden for you alone.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide to you in that time, Y may not aloone susteyne you, for youre Lord God hath multiplied you,
Young's Literal Translation
`And I speak unto you at that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you;
Update Bible Version
And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Webster's Bible Translation
And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
World English Bible
I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
New King James Version
Exodus 18:13-27">[xr] "And I spoke to you at that time, saying: "I alone am not able to bear you.
New Living Translation
Moses continued, "At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself.
New Life Bible
"At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able to take care of you alone.
New Revised Standard
At that time I said to you, "I am unable by myself to bear you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So spake unto you, at that time saying, I am unable, by myself, to carry you.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said to you at that time:
Revised Standard Version
"At that time I said to you, 'I am not able alone to bear you;
THE MESSAGE
At the time I told you, "I can't do this, can't carry you all by myself. God , your God, has multiplied your numbers. Why, look at you—you rival the stars in the sky! And may God , the God-of-Your-Fathers, keep it up and multiply you another thousand times, bless you just as he promised. But how can I carry, all by myself, your troubles and burdens and quarrels? So select some wise, understanding, and seasoned men from your tribes, and I will commission them as your leaders."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.

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

I am not: Exodus 18:18, Numbers 11:11-14, Numbers 11:17

Reciprocal: Numbers 11:14 - General Deuteronomy 1:12 - General Acts 6:2 - we should Romans 13:6 - attending 1 Corinthians 13:7 - Beareth

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:2
The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.
Genesis 1:5
and named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening came and then morning—that was the first day.
Genesis 1:6

The Second Day

God said, "I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it."
Genesis 1:8
and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning—that was the second day.
Genesis 1:9

The Third Day

God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened.
Genesis 1:11
God said, "I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain." And that's what happened.
Genesis 1:28
God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.
Genesis 1:29
I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat.
Job 26:7
who hung the northern sky and suspended the earth on empty space.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I spake unto you at that time,.... About that time; for it was after the rock in Horeb was smitten, and before they encamped at Mount Sinai, that Jethro gave the advice which Moses took, and proceeded on it, as here related; see Exodus 18:1

saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone; to rule and govern them, judge and determine matters between them. Jethro suggested this to Moses, and he took the hint, and was conscious to himself that it was too much for him, and so declared it to the people, though it is not before recorded; see Exodus 18:18.

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!


 
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