Exodus 18
1 Sithaw mah Mosi hoi Angraeng ih Israel kaminawk han sak pae ih hmuennawk boih hoi kawbang maw Angraeng mah Israel kaminawk Izip prae thung hoiah zaeh, tiah Mosi ih amsae, Midian kami qaima Jethro mah thaih naah,
Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 Jethro loe Mosi mah patoeh let ih a zu Zipporah hoi,
After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,
3 a capa hnik to lak let; Mosi mah minawk prae ah angvin ah ka oh, tiah poek pongah, maeto loe Gershom, tiah ahmin paek;
along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
4 kam pa ih Sithaw loe kai bomkung ah oh, anih mah Faro ih sumsen thung hoiah ang pahlong, tiah a thuih pongah, a capa kalah maeto loe Eliezer, tiah ahmin sak.
The other son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5 Mosi ih amsae Jethro loe Mosi ih zu, capa hnik hoi nawnto Mosi anghakhaih Sithaw mae taeng ih praezaek ah caeh o;
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
6 to naah Jethro mah, Nam sae, kai, Jethro loe na zu, na capa hnik hoi nawnto nang khaeah kang zoh o boeh, tiah a naa.
He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 To pongah Mosi mah amsae to hnuk hanah a dawt, akuep moe, anih to mok; loklang angdueng o pacoengah, kahni imthung ah akun o.
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.
8 Mosi mah amsae khaeah, Angraeng mah Israel kaminawk hanah, Faro hoi Izip kaminawk nuiah sak pae ih hmuennawk boih, loklam ah a tongh o ih raihaihnawk hoi Angraeng mah Israel kaminawk kawbang maw pahlong, tito a thuih pae boih.
Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
9 Jethro loe Angraeng mah Israel kaminawk nuiah sak ih kahoih hmuennawk boih hoi nihcae to Izip kaminawk ih ban thung hoi pahlong pongah anghoehaih a tawnh.
And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Anih mah, Izip kaminawk hoi Faro ih ban thung hoiah pahlongkung, Izip kaminawk ih ban thung hoi pahlongkung, Angraeng loe tahamhoihaih om nasoe.
Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Angraeng loe kalah sithawnawk boih pongah len kue, tito ka panoek boeh; kaminawk amoekhaih loe anih mah pazawk boeh, tiah a naa.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”
12 To pacoengah Mosi amsae Jethro mah hmai angbawnhaih sak hanah moi hoi kalah hmuennawk to Sithaw khaeah sinh; to naah Aaron hoi Israel kacoehtanawk loe Mosi amsae hoi nawnto Sithaw hmaa ah takaw caak hanah angzoh o.
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 Mosi loe kaminawk lokcaek hanah akhawnbang ah anghnut; kaminawk loe akhawnbang hoi duembang khoek to Mosi taengah angdoet o.
The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
14 Mosi mah kaminawk nuiah sak ih hmuen to amsae mah hnuk naah, kawbang maw kaminawk nuiah hae tiah hmuen hae na sak? Tikhoe kaminawk loe akhawnbang hoi duembang khoek to na taengah anghnut o moe, nangmah bueng lok na caek loe? tiah a naa.
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
15 Mosi mah Sithaw koehhaih pakrong han ih ni kai khaeah angzoh o;
“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.
16 lok angaekhaih oh naah, kai khaeah angzoh o; kai mah nihcae to maeto pacoeng maeto lok ka caek moe, Sithaw zaehhoihhaih daan hoi loknawk to ka thuih pae, tiah a naa.
“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”
17 Mosi amsae mah anih khaeah, Na sak ih hmuen hae hoih ai.
But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
18 Hae tok loe nang hanah azit hmoek pongah, nangmah hoi na taengah kaom kaminawk loe thazok o tangtang tih; nangmah bueng na pazawk thai mak ai.
Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
19 Vaihi ka lok hae tahngai ah, poekhaih kang paek han; nang khaeah Sithaw om nasoe; nang loe Sithaw hmaa ah laicaeh ah om ah loe, lok angaekhaih Sithaw khaeah thuikung ah om ah;
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
20 kaminawk khaeah zaehhoihaih daan hoi kaaloknawk to patuk ah; nihcae caeh han koi loklam to patuek ah loe, nihcae mah sak han koi hmuen to thui paeh.
Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.
21 Kaminawk thung hoiah Sithaw zii kami, oepthok kami, kamtlai koeh hmoek ai kaminawk to qoih loe, sangto, cumvaito, qui pangato hoi pangato ukkungnawk to suem ah.
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22 To kaminawk mah hmuen boih nuiah lokcaek o nasoe loe, karai hmuen khue to nang khaeah angzo o haih nasoe; toe kazoi hmuen loe nihcae mah lokcaek o nasoe; to tiah na sak nahaeloe nihcae mah na tok to lawnh o ueloe, na phawh ih hmuen doeh anghoep kue tih.
Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.
23 Sithaw mah paek ih lok baktih toengah, hae tiah na sak nahaeloe, kacakah nang doe thai ueloe, hae ih kaminawk boih doeh, lunghoihta hoiah angmacae im ah amlaem o tih, tiah a naa.
If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
24 Mosi mah amsae ih lok to tahngaih moe, a thuih ih lok baktih toengah sak.
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
25 Mosi loe Israel kaminawk boih thung hoiah toksah thaih kaminawk to qoih moe, sangto ukkung, cumvaito ukkung, qui pangato ukkung, hato ukkung hoi pangato ukkung, tiah a suek boih.
So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26 Nihcae loe kawbaktih atue ah doeh lokcaek kami ah oh o; karai hmuen to Mosi khaeah caeh o haih moe, kazoi hmuen loe angmacae mah pathlaeng o.
And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
27 To pacoengah Mosi mah amsae to amlaemsak let; Jethro loe angmah prae ah amlaem let.
Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.
