2 Mosebog 18

1 Da Jetro, Præsten i Midjan, Moses's Svigerfader, hørte om alt, hvad Gud havde gjort for Moses og hans Folk Israel, hvorledes HERREN havde ført Israel ud af Ægypten,

And Jithro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, that the Lord had brought forth Israel out of Egypt.

2 tog Jetro, Moses's Svigerfader, Zippora, Moses's Hustru, som han havde sendt hjem,

Then took Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after he had sent her back,

3 tillige med hendes to Sønner. Af dem hed den ene Gersom; »thi«, havde han sagt, »jeg er blevet Gæst i et fremmed Land«;

And her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been a stranger in a foreign land:

4 og den anden hed Eliezer; »thi«, havde han sagt, »min Faders Gud har været min Hjælp og frelst mig fra Faraos Sværd!«

And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.

5 Og Jetro, Moses's Svigerfader, kom med hans Sønner og Hustru til Moses i Ørkenen, hvor han havde slaaet Lejr ved Guds Bjerg,

And Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses, unto the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mount of God.

6 og han lod Moses melde: »Jetro, din Svigerfader, kommer til dig med din Hustru og hendes to Sønner!«

And he sent word unto Moses, I thy father-in-law Jithro am coming unto thee, with thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7 Da gik Moses sin Svigerfader i Møde, bøjede sig for ham og kyssede ham; og da de havde hilst paa hinanden, gik de ind i Teltet.

And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed himself, and kissed him; and they asked each other after their welfare; and they went into the tent.

8 Moses fortalte sin Svigerfader om alt, hvad HERREN havde gjort ved Farao og Ægypten for Israels Skyld, og om alle de Besværligheder, der havde mødt dem undervejs, og hvorledes HERREN havde frelst dem.

And Moses told his father-in-law all which the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, all the hardship which had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.

9 Da glædede Jetro sig over alt det gode, HERREN havde gjort mod Israel, idet han havde frelst dem af Ægypternes Haand.

And Jithro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, that he had delivered it out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Og Jetro sagde: »Lovet være HERREN, som har frelst eder af Ægypternes og Faraos Haand!

And Jithro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Nu ved jeg, at HERREN er større end alle Guder, thi netop ved det, de i deres Overmod foretog sig imod dem, frelste han Folket af Ægypternes Haand.«

Now I know that the Eternal is great above all gods; for by the very thing wherein they sinned presumptuously was punishment brought upon them.

12 Derpaa udtog Jetro, Moses's Svigerfader, Brændofre og Slagtofre til Gud; og Aron og alle Israels Ældste kom for at holde Maaltid for Guds Aasyn med Moses's Svigerfader.

And Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, offered a burnt-offering and sacrifices unto God; and Aaron came, with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.

13 Næste Morgen tog Moses Sæde for at holde Ret for Folket, og Folket stod omkring Moses fra Morgen til Aften.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood around Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14 Men da Moses's Svigerfader saa alt det Arbejde, han havde med Folket, sagde han: »Hvad er dog det for et Arbejde, du har med Folket? Hvorfor sidder du alene til Doms, medens alt Folket staar omkring dig fra Morgen til Aften?«

And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he did to the people; and he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people standeth around thee from morning until evening?

15 Moses svarede sin Svigerfader: »Jo, Folket kommer til mig for at raadspørge Gud;

And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people cometh unto me to inquire of God.

16 naar de har en Retssag, kommer de til mig, og jeg dømmer Parterne imellem og kundgør dem Guds Anordninger og Love.«

When they have a matter of dispute, they come unto me; and I judge between one and the other, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 Da sagde Moses's Svigerfader til ham: »Det er ikke klogt, som du bærer dig ad med det.

And the father-in-law of Moses said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18 Paa den Maade bliver jo baade du selv og Folket der omkring dig ganske udmattet, thi det Arbejde er dig for anstrengende, du kan ikke overkomme det alene.

Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou wilt not be able to perform it by thyself alone.

19 Læg dig nu paa Sinde, hvad jeg siger; jeg vil give dig et Raad, og Gud skal være med dig: Du skal selv træde frem for Gud paa Folkets Vegne og forelægge Gud de forefaldende Sager;

Now hearken unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and may God be with thee, Be thou for the people a mediator with God, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.

20 og du skal indskærpe dem Anordningerne og Lovene og lære dem den Vej, de skal vandre, og hvad de har at gøre.

And thou shalt explain to them the statutes and the laws; and thou shalt make them know the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Men du skal af hele Folket udvælge dig dygtige Mænd, som frygter Gud, Mænd, som er til at lide paa og hader uretfærdig Vinding, og dem skal du sætte over dem som Forstandere, nogle over tusinde, andre over hundrede, andre over halvtredsindstyve, andre over ti;

Moreover, thou shalt select out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating [their own] gain; and place these over them, as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 lad dem til Stadighed holde Ret for Folket. Alle vigtigere Sager skal de forebringe dig, men alle mindre Sager skal de selv afgøre. Let dig saaledes Arbejdet og lad dem komme til at bære Byrden med dig.

And let them judge the people at all times; and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thee, when they shall bear with thee.

23 Dersom du handler saaledes og Gud vil det saa, kan du holde ud, og alt Folket der kan gaa tilfreds hjem.«

If thou wilt do this thing, and God commandeth it thee, then wilt thou be able to endure; and also the whole of this people will come to its place in peace.

24 Moses fulgte sin Svigerfaders Raad og gjorde alt, hvad han foreslog.

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

25 Og Moses udvalgte dygtige Mænd af hele Israel og gjorde dem til Øverster over Folket, til Forstandere, nogle over tusinde, andre over hundrede, andre over halvtredsindstyve, andre over ti.

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

26 De holdt derpaa til Stadighed Ret for Folket; de vanskelige Sager forebragte de Moses, men alle mindre Sager afgjorde de selv.

And they judged the people at all times; any difficult cause they brought unto Moses, but every small cause they judged themselves.

27 Derpaa tog Moses Afsked med sin Svigerfader, og denne begav sig til sit Land.

And Moses dismissed his father-in-law; and he went his way unto his own land.