Tâconae 18
1 Cathut ni Mosi hoi a tami Isarelnaw hanelah a sak pouh e naw pueng thoseh, BAWIPA ni Isarelnaw Izip ram hoi a tâcokhainae thoseh, Midian Jethro, Mosi e a masei ni a thai nah,
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 Mosi ni a patoun e a yu 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 ca kahni touh a hrawi teh a cei. A capa buet touh e min teh Gershom ka phung. Bangkongtetpawiteh, ayâ ram vah imyin lah ka o atipouh.
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 Alouk buet touh e min teh Eliezer ka phung. Bangkongtetpawiteh, Apa Cathut teh kai na kabawmkung lah ao. Faro e tahloi dawk hoi na rungngang telah atipouh.
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 e a masei Jethro ni Mosi e capa roi hoi a yu a hrawi teh kahrawngum rim tuknae koe Cathut mon dawk Mosi koe a tho awh.
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 A masei Jethro hoi na yu, na capa roi teh nang koe a tho telah Mosi koe a dei pouh awh navah,
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 Mosi ni a masei hah dawn hanelah a tâco teh a paco. Na dam maw telah buet touh hoi buet touh a kâpacei awh hnukkhu, rim thung vah a kâen awh.
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 BAWIPA ni Isarelnaw hanelah Faro siangpahrang hoi Izipnaw koe hno a sak e naw pueng thoseh, lam a kâhmo awh e rucatnae naw pueng thoseh, hote rucatnae dawk hoi BAWIPA ni a rungngang e thoseh, Mosi ni a masei koe a dei pouh.
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 BAWIPA ni Isarelnaw teh Izipnaw e kut dawk hoi a rasa teh a sak e lungmanae kecu dawk Jethro teh a lunghawi.
Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
10 Izipnaw e kut dawk hoi thoseh, Faro siangpahrang e kut dawk hoi thoseh, nang hoi taminaw ka rungngang e BAWIPA teh yawhawinae awm naseh.
He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
11 BAWIPA teh alouke cathutnaw pueng hlak, hoe a lentoe tie atu ka panue. Bangkongtetpawiteh, taminaw ni kâoupkâpawinaw thaw dawk BAWIPA ni a tâ telah ati hnukkhu,
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 Mosi e a masei Jethro ni hmaisawi hane sathei hoi Cathut hanlah satheinaw hah a sin teh, Aron hoi Isarel tami kacuenaw ni Mosi e a masei hoi cungtalah Cathut hmalah rawca ca hanlah a tho awh.
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 Atangtho vah, Mosi ni taminaw lawkceng hanlah a tahung. Amom hoi tangmin totouh, taminaw Mosi hmalah ao awh.
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 ni taminaw koe a sak e naw pueng hah a masei ni a hmu navah, hete taminaw koe bangtelamaw na sak Nang ni nama dueng na tahung teh taminaw pueng teh amom hoi tangmin lah totouh na hmalah bangkongmaw ao awh, telah atipouh.
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 ni hete taminaw teh Cathut e pouknae hei hanelah kai koe ka tho e doeh atipouh.
Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
16 Hahoi, ahnimouh ni lawkpungnae tawn awh boipawiteh, kai koe a tho awh teh, ahnimae lawkpung hah kai ni lai ka dei pouh. Cathut e kâlawknaw hah kai ka cangkhai telah a masei koe atipouh navah,
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 A masei ni na sak e hno heh hawi hoeh.
Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
18 Nang hoi nang koe kaawm e hete taminaw teh atangcalah a thayoun awh han. Hete thaw heh nang hanlah hnokari poung lah ao. Tami buet touh dueng ni sak thai kawi e nahoeh.
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 Ka lawk hah thai haw. Kai ni pouknae na poe han. Cathut ni na okhai han doeh. Nang ni Cathut hoi kâkuen e hno dawk taminaw e hnonaw hah Cathut koe na kâen vaiteh, na thai sak han.
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 Ahnimouh hai kâlawknaw na cangkhai han. Ahnimouh ni a dawn hane lamthung, a sak awh han e kawinaw hai na patue han.
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 Hothloilah, Cathut ka taket e tami, kalan e tami, hounlounnae ka panuet e taminaw hah taminaw thung dawk hoi na rawi vaiteh, tami thongkhat kaukkung, tami cum touh kaukkung, tami 50 touh kaukkung, tami hra touh ka uk hanelah thaw na poe han.
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 Hote taminaw ni nâtuek haiyah taminaw hah lawkceng awh naseh. Lawkpung kalen dawk teh nang koe pouknae lat awh naseh. Kathoenge lawkpungnae teh ama ni lawkceng awh naseh. Hottelah boipawiteh, ahnimouh ni cungtalah thaw rei tawk awh vaiteh nang na tha a dam han.
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 Hottelah, Cathut ni kâ na poe pawiteh, nang teh na cak han. Hete taminaw pueng teh amamae hmuen koe karoumcalah a cei awh han telah atipouh.
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 ni a masei e lawk hah a ngai teh a dei pouh e patetlah a sak.
Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
25 Mosi ni ka uk thai hane taminaw hah Isarelnaw thung dawk hoi a rawi teh tami thongkhat kaukkung, tami cum touh kaukkung, tami 50 touh kaukkung, tami hra touh kaukkung hanlah thaw a poe.
Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
26 Hote taminaw ni nâtuek haiyah taminaw hah lawk a ceng awh. Ka ru e lawkpung dawk teh Mosi e pouknae a la awh. Kayawi e lawkpung dawk teh amamouh lungpouk lawk a ceng awh.
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 Hathnukkhu, Mosi ni a masei ban hanlah a pasoung toung dawkvah ahni teh amae ram lah a ban.
Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
