Devarim

SEE I HAVE GIVEN BEFORE YOU THE LAND.  COME AND POSSESS THE LAND G-D SWORE TO YOUR FATHERS, AVRAHAM, YITZCHAK AND YAAKOV, TO GIVE TO THEM AND THEIR DESCENDANTS AFTER THEM...
HOW CAN I ALONE BEAR YOUR STRIFE, BURDENS AND QUARRELS?  PROVIDE FOR YOURSELVES WISE AND UNDERSTANDING MEN, KNOWN TO YOUR TRIBES, AND PLACE THEM AS YOUR HEADS (Devarim 1:5, 12-13).

These statements seem unrelated.  After recounting that G-d desired to bring the Jewish people into the Land, shortly after the encampment at Sinai, why mention the contentiousness of the Israelites which necessitated more judges?


When G-d promised to bring them to the Land, without a battle, their focus should have been on big things.  Instead they allowed themselves to sink into pettiness, resulting in interpersonal conflicts. Narrow vision leads people to miss important  things for unimportant things.  Nearly forty years later, Moshe is rebuking the nation for this (Sforno).

YOU MURMURED IN YOUR TENTS, SAYING "IN G-D'S HATRED FOR US HE TOOK US OUT OF EGYPT TO PLACE US IN THE AMORITES' HAND, TO DESTROY US...
AND IN THE DESERT YOU SAW HOW G-D YOUR L-RD CARRIED YOU AS A MAN CARRIES HIS SON ON THE WHOLE WAY YOU WENT UNTIL YOU CAME TO THIS PLACE (Devarim 1: 27, 31).

Why did they think G-d hated them?


Because they had worshiped Egyptian gods.  The people's perception is refuted by the fact that G-d lovingly bore them through the desert, without vengeance (Sforno).

We see it is a huge mistake for a person to despair because of a sin done in the past. This leads a person to discount the kindnesses G-d shows a person and interpret G-d's actions in the worst possible light ("G-d hates me"). One must not lose faith in G-d's compassion and overlook His acts of love.