2 Mosebog 18

1 Og Jetro, Præsten i Midian, Mose Svigerfader, hørte alt det, Gud havde gjort imod Mose og imod sit Folk Israel, at Herren havde udført Israel af Ægypten.

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Da tog Jetro, Mose Svigerfader, Zippora, Mose Hustru, som han havde sendt tilbage,

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

3 og hendes to Sønner, — af hvilke den enes Navn var Gersom; thi han sagde: Jeg har været fremmed i et fremmed Land;

and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.

4 og den andens Navn Elieser; thi han sagde: Min Faders Gud er kommen mig til Hjælp og har friet mig fra Faraos Sværd.

The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

5 Og Jetro, Mose Svigerfader, kom med hans Sønner og hans Hustru til Mose i Ørken, der, hvor han havde lejret sig ved Guds Bjerg.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

6 Og han lod sige til Mose: Jeg, Jetro din Svigerfader, kommer til dig, og din Hustru og hendes to Sønner med hende.

He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”

7 Da gik Mose ud imod sin Svigerfader og bøjede sig og kyssede ham, og den ene hilsede den anden, og de gik ind i Teltet.

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

8 Og Mose fortalte sin Svigerfader alt det, Herren havde gjort Farao og Ægypterne for Israels Skyld, tilligemed al den Møje, som var dem vederfaren paa Vejen, og hvorledes Herren havde friet dem.

Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

9 Da blev Jetro glad for alt det gode, Herren havde gjort Israel, som han havde friet af Ægypternes Haand.

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Og Jetro sagde: Lovet være Herren, som friede eder af Ægypternes Haand og af Faraos Haand, og som friede Folket fra at være under Ægypternes Haand.

Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Nu ved jeg, at Herren er stor fremfor alle Guder; thi i den Sag, hvoraf de hovmodede sig, var han over dem.

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”

12 Og Jetro, Mose Svigerfader, tog Brændoffer og Slagtoffer til Gud; saa kom Aron og alle Israels ældste for at faa Mad med Mose Svigerfader for Guds Ansigt.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 Og det skete den næste Dag, at Mose satte sig at dømme Folket, og Folket stod for Mose fra Morgenen indtil Aftenen.

On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

14 Der Mose Svigerfader saa alt det, han havde for med Folket, da sagde han: Hvad er dette for en Sag, som du har for med Folket? hvi sidder du for dig alene, og alt Folket staar for dig fra Morgen til Aften?

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

15 Og Mose sagde til sin Svigerfader: Fordi Folket kommer til mig for at adspørge Gud.

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to enquire of God.

16 Naar de have nogen Sag, da komme de til mig, at jeg skal dømme imellem en Mand og imellem hans næste; og jeg skal lære dem Guds Skikke og hans Love.

When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”

17 Da sagde Mose Svigerfader til ham: Det er ikke godt, hvad du her gør.

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

18 Du maa jo forsmægte, baade du og dette Folk, som er med dig; thi den Handel er dig for svar, du formaar ikke at udrette det ved dig alene.

You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

19 Nu lyd min Røst, jeg vil give dig Raad, og Gud skal være med dig: Vær du for Folket hos Gud, og du skal føre Sagerne frem for Gud.

Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

20 Og du skal paaminde dem om Skikkene og Lovene og lære dem Vejen, som de skulle vandre paa, og den Gerning, som de skulle gøre.

You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Og du skal udse dig af Folket duelige Mænd, som frygte Gud, sanddrue Mænd, som hade ulovlig Vinding, og sætte disse over dem til Høvedsmænd over tusinde, Høvedsmænd over hundrede, Høvedsmænd over halvtredsindstyve og Høvedsmænd over ti.

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 Og de skulle dømme Folket til enhver Tid, og det skal ske saaledes: Hver stor Sag skulle de føre for dig, og hver liden Sag skulle de selv dømme i, og let saaledes noget af Byrden for dig, og de skulle bære den tilligemed dig.

Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

23 Dersom du vil gøre dette, og Gud befaler dig det, da formaar du at holde ud; ja ogsaa hele dette Folk skal komme med Fred til sit Sted.

If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 Og Mose lød sin Svigerfaders Røst og gjorde alt det, som han sagde.

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

25 Og Mose udvalgte duelige Mænd af al Israel og satte dem til Høvedsmænd over Folket, Høvedsmænd over tusinde, Høvedsmænd over hundrede, Høvedsmænd over halvtredsindstyve og Høvedsmænd over ti.

Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 Og de dømte Folket til enhver Tid; hver svar Sag skulde de føre for Mose, og hver liden Sag skulde de selv dømme.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 Og Mose lod sin Svigerfader fare, og denne gik til sit Land.

Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.