Deuteronomy 1:17

לא תכירו פנים במשפט YE SHALL NOT RESPECT PERSONS IN JUDGMENT — This is addressed to him whose office it is to appoint judges — that he should not say, Mr. So-and-so is a fine or a strong man, I will make him a judge; Mr. So-and-so is my relative, I will make him a judge in the city, — while in reality he is not expert in the laws, and consequently he will condemn the innocent and acquit the guilty — I will account it unto him who appointed him as though he had shown favor in judgment (Sifrei Devarim 17:1). כקטן כגדל תשמעון YE SHALL HEAR THE SMALL AS WELL AS THE GREAT, i.e. that a lawsuit regarding a peruta shall be as dear to you (shall be as of equal importance) as a lawsuit regarding a hundred maneh — that if it (the former) comes before you first, you should not set it aside until the last (Sanhedrin 8a). — Another explanation of YE SHALL HEAR THE SMALL AS WELL AS THE GREAT — Understand it as the Targum has it: Ye shall hearken unto the words of the small as to those of the great — i.e. that you should not say: This is a poor man and his fellow (opponent) is rich, and is in any case bidden to support him; I will find in favour of the poor man, and he will consequently obtain some support in a respectable fashion (see Rashi on Leviticus 19:15). — Another explanation is: that you should not say, “How can I offend against the honour of this rich man because of one dinar? I will for the moment decide in his favour, and when he goes outside (leaves the court) I will say to him, ‘Give it to him because in fact you owe it to him'" (Sifrei Devarim 17:3). לא תגורו מפני איש means: YE SHALL NOT FEAR [ANY MAN]. — Another explanation of לא תגורו: Ye shall not gather in (shall not restrain) your words before any man. The word has the same meaning as in (Proverbs 10:5), "Gathering (אוגר) in summer” (cf. Sanhedrin 8a). כי המשפט לאלהים הוא FOR THE JUDGMENT IS GOD’S — Whatever you take from this man unjustly you will compel Me to restore to him; it follows, therefore, that you have wrested judgment against Me (Sanhedrin 8a). תקרבון אלי [AND THE CAUSE THAT IS TOO HARD FOR YOU] BRING TO ME [AND I WILL HEAR IT] — On account of this utterance (that he could decide difficult cases) the law regarding the daughters of Zelophehad evaded him (Sanhedrin 8a; see Rashi on Numbers 27:5). Similarly, Samuel said to Saul (I Samuel 9:19), “I” am the seer. Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, I will let you know that you are not a seer”. And when did he let him know this? When he came to anoint David. For Scripture states, (I Samuel 16:6, 7) “And when he saw Eliab he said, Surely before the Lord stands his anointed one”. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Did you not say, “I” am the seer? Look not at the outward appearance” (Sifrei Devarim 17:7).

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

לֹֽא־תַכִּ֨ירוּ פָנִ֜ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּגָּדֹל֙ תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן לֹ֤א תָג֙וּרוּ֙ מִפְּנֵי־אִ֔ישׁ כִּ֥י הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט לֵאלֹהִ֣ים ה֑וּא וְהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְשֶׁ֣ה מִכֶּ֔ם תַּקְרִב֥וּן אֵלַ֖י וּשְׁמַעְתִּֽיו׃