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,
Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people the Israelites, and how the Lord had led them out of Egypt.
2 Jethro loe Mosi mah patoeh let ih a zu Zipporah hoi,
When Moses had sent home his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had welcomed 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;
together 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, because Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper, and saved me from death at Pharaoh's hand.”
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, together with Moses' wife and sons, came to see him in the desert at the camp near 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.
Moses was told beforehand, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to see you together 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.
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other how they were and then 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.
Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians on behalf of the Israelites, about all the troubles they had experienced on the way, and about how the Lord had saved 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.
Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he'd saved them from 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 announced, “May the Lord be blessed, who saved you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh.
11 Angraeng loe kalah sithawnawk boih pongah len kue, tito ka panoek boeh; kaminawk amoekhaih loe anih mah pazawk boeh, tiah a naa.
This is so convincing to me that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he saved the people from the Egyptians when they acted so arrogantly towards the Israelites.”
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 Jethro presented a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with him in God's presence.
13 Mosi loe kaminawk lokcaek hanah akhawnbang ah anghnut; kaminawk loe akhawnbang hoi duembang khoek to Mosi taengah angdoet o.
The following day Moses sat as a judge for the people, and they presented their cases to him from morning to 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 everything that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What's all this you're doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone as judge, with everyone presenting their cases to you from morning to evening?”
15 Mosi mah Sithaw koehhaih pakrong han ih ni kai khaeah angzoh o;
“Because the people come to me to ask God for his decision,” 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.
“When they argue over something, the case is brought before me to decide between one them, and I explain to them the God's laws and regulations.”
17 Mosi amsae mah anih khaeah, Na sak ih hmuen hae hoih ai.
Jethro told him, “What you're doing is not the best.
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.
You, and these people who come to you, are all going to wear yourselves out, because the workload is far too heavy. You can't 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;
So please listen to me. I'm going to give you some advice, and God will be with you. Yes, you must continue to be the people's representative before God, and take their cases 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.
Go on teaching them the laws and regulations. Show them how to live and the work they are to 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.
But now you should choose men who are competent from among the people, men who respect God and who are trustworthy and not corrupt. Put them in charge of the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and 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.
These men are to judge the people on a continuing basis. Major issues they can bring to you, but they can decide all the small matters themselves. In this way your burden will be made lighter 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 my advice, and if it's what God tells you to do, then you will be able to survive, and all these people can go home satisfied that their cases have been heard.”
24 Mosi mah amsae ih lok to tahngaih moe, a thuih ih lok baktih toengah sak.
Moses listened to what his father-in-law said and followed all his advice.
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 competent men from all of Israel and put them in charge of the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and 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.
They acted as judges for the people on a continuing basis. They brought the difficult cases to Moses, but they would judge the small matters themselves.
27 To pacoengah Mosi mah amsae to amlaemsak let; Jethro loe angmah prae ah amlaem let.
Then Moses sent Jethro on his way, and he went back to his own country.
