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,
Jethro, who was the priest for the Midian people-group, and who was also Moses’/my father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for the Israeli people. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt.
2 Jethro loe Mosi mah patoeh let ih a zu Zipporah hoi,
Moses/I had [previously] sent his/my wife Zipporah [back home when he/I was returning to Egypt]. But now Jethro came to him/me,
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;
bringing Zipporah and their/our two sons. One son was named Gershom, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘foreigner’], because he/I had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another 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.
Her other son was named Eliezer, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘God helps me’], because [he/I] had said “God, whom my father [worshiped], has helped me and saved [me] from being killed [MTY] by the king [of Egypt].”
5 Mosi ih amsae Jethro loe Mosi ih zu, capa hnik hoi nawnto Mosi anghakhaih Sithaw mae taeng ih praezaek ah caeh o;
While Moses/I was camped [with the Israeli people] in the desert [near Sinai], God’s sacred/holy mountain, Jethro came to him/me, bringing along Moses’/my wife and our [two] sons.
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.
Jethro had sent a message to Moses/me, “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you, bringing along your wife and your 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/I went out of the campsite to meet his/my father-in-law. He/I bowed before him, and kissed him [on the cheek]. (They both/We) asked each other, “Have you been healthy?” Then they/we went into [Moses’/my] 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/I told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the [other] people in Egypt for the sake of the Israeli people. He/I also told him about the troubles/problems they/we had experienced on the way, and how Yahweh had helped them/us.
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 rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
10 Anih mah, Izip kaminawk hoi Faro ih ban thung hoiah pahlongkung, Izip kaminawk ih ban thung hoi pahlongkung, Angraeng loe tahamhoihaih om nasoe.
He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
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 realize that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued you all from the power [MTY] of the proud Egyptians when [they] were causing you [to suffer].”
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 sacrificed an animal by burning it completely on the altar [as an offering], and he also offered other sacrifices to God. Aaron and the Israeli elders/leaders went with them/us to eat a sacred meal with Jethro.
13 Mosi loe kaminawk lokcaek hanah akhawnbang ah anghnut; kaminawk loe akhawnbang hoi duembang khoek to Mosi taengah angdoet o.
The next day, Moses/I sat down at the place where he/I settled disputes among the people. The people were continually bringing their disputes to Moses/me, 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 Jethro saw everything that Moses/I was doing for the people, he said, “(Why are you doing all this for the people?/You should not be doing all this for the people!) [RHQ] Why are you doing this by yourself, and all the people are crowding around you, from morning until evening, [asking you to make decisions for them] [RHQ]?”
15 Mosi mah Sithaw koehhaih pakrong han ih ni kai khaeah angzoh o;
Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
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 have a dispute about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. I also tell them all of God’s laws and instructions.”
17 Mosi amsae mah anih khaeah, Na sak ih hmuen hae hoih ai.
Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
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 will (wear yourselves out/become exhausted)! This work is too much for one person. You are not able to do it by yourself.
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 some good advice [MTY] I will give to you. [If you do what I suggest], God will help you. You should continue to speak to God and tell him about the people’s disputes.
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.
You should [also] teach the people what God has commanded and instructed you. You should also explain to them how they should conduct their lives, and the things that they should 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 in addition, you should choose some [other men to help you]. Choose men who have reverence for God and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions [for groups of] ten people, [some for groups of] 50 [people], [some for groups of] 100 [people], [and some for groups of] 1,000 [people].
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.
Allow them to serve permanently to settle disputes for the people. The difficult matters the people can bring to you; but the matters that are not difficult, they can decide themselves. That will make the work easier for you, as they help you do that work.
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 do that, and [I think that] God is telling you to do it (OR, if God tells you to do it), you will not become exhausted, and all the people will be able to go home feeling satisfied about the decisions, [with their disputes settled quickly”].
24 Mosi mah amsae ih lok to tahngaih moe, a thuih ih lok baktih toengah sak.
Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
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.
Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
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 were appointed permanently to make decisions about the people’s disputes. They brought the difficult cases to Moses/me, but they decided the matters that were not difficult by themselves.
27 To pacoengah Mosi mah amsae to amlaemsak let; Jethro loe angmah prae ah amlaem let.
Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
