Exodus 18
1 And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, the kinsman of Moses, had heard all that God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and that the Lord had led Israel away from Egypt,
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,
2 he brought Zipporah, the wife of Moses, whom he was to return to him,
Jethro loe Mosi mah patoeh let ih a zu Zipporah hoi,
3 and her two sons, of whom one was called Gershom, (for his father said, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land,”)
a capa hnik to lak let; Mosi mah minawk prae ah angvin ah ka oh, tiah poek pongah, maeto loe Gershom, tiah ahmin paek;
4 and the other in truth was Eliezer, (“For the God of my father,” he said, “is my helper, and has rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”)
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.
5 And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, with his sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert, where he was encamped next to the mountain of God.
Mosi ih amsae Jethro loe Mosi ih zu, capa hnik hoi nawnto Mosi anghakhaih Sithaw mae taeng ih praezaek ah caeh o;
6 And he sent word to Moses, saying: “I, Jethro, your kinsman, have come to you, with your wife, and your two sons with her.”
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.
7 And going out to meet his kinsman, he reverenced and kissed him. And they saluted each other with peaceful words. And when he had arrived at the tent,
To pongah Mosi mah amsae to hnuk hanah a dawt, akuep moe, anih to mok; loklang angdueng o pacoengah, kahni imthung ah akun o.
8 Moses explained to his kinsman all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on behalf of Israel, and all the hardships which had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had freed them.
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.
9 And Jethro was gladdened over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, because he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
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.
10 And he said: “Blessed is the Lord, who has freed his people from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh; he has rescued his people from the hand of Egypt.
Anih mah, Izip kaminawk hoi Faro ih ban thung hoiah pahlongkung, Izip kaminawk ih ban thung hoi pahlongkung, Angraeng loe tahamhoihaih om nasoe.
11 Now I know that the great Lord is above all gods. This is why they acted arrogantly against them.”
Angraeng loe kalah sithawnawk boih pongah len kue, tito ka panoek boeh; kaminawk amoekhaih loe anih mah pazawk boeh, tiah a naa.
12 And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, offered holocausts and sacrifices to God. And Aaron arrived with all the elders of Israel, in order to eat bread with him in the sight of God.
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.
13 Then, the next day, Moses sat down in order to judge the people, and they stood beside Moses from morning, even until evening.
Mosi loe kaminawk lokcaek hanah akhawnbang ah anghnut; kaminawk loe akhawnbang hoi duembang khoek to Mosi taengah angdoet o.
14 And when, of course, his kinsman saw all that he did among the people, he said: “What is this that you do among the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you, from morning, even until evening?”
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.
15 And Moses answered him: “The people come to me seeking the verdict of God.
Mosi mah Sithaw koehhaih pakrong han ih ni kai khaeah angzoh o;
16 And when any kind of dispute occurs among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to reveal the precepts of God and of his laws.”
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.
17 But he said, “This is not good, what you are doing.
Mosi amsae mah anih khaeah, Na sak ih hmuen hae hoih ai.
18 You will be consumed by foolish efforts, both you and this people who are with you. The task is beyond your strength; you will not be able bear it alone.
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.
19 But listen to my words and counsels, and then God will be with you. Be available to the people in that which pertains to God, so as to refer what they say to him,
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;
20 and to reveal to the people the ceremonies, and the rituals of worship, and the way by which they should progress, and the work that they should do.
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.
21 Then provide, from all of the people, men capable and fearing God, in whom there is truth and who hate avarice, and appoint from them tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens,
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.
22 who may judge the people at all times. Then, when anything greater will have occurred, they may refer it to you, and let them judge the lesser matters only. And so it may be lighter for you, the burden being divided among others.
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.
23 If you will do this, you will fulfill the orders of God, and you will be able to uphold his precepts. And this entire people will return to their places in peace.”
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.
24 Having heard this, Moses did everything that he had suggested to him.
Mosi mah amsae ih lok to tahngaih moe, a thuih ih lok baktih toengah sak.
25 And choosing virtuous men from all of Israel, he appointed them as leaders of the people: tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.
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.
26 And they judged the people at all times. But whatever was more serious, they referred to him, and they judged easier matters only.
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.
27 And he dismissed his kinsman, who, turning back, went to his own land.
To pacoengah Mosi mah amsae to amlaemsak let; Jethro loe angmah prae ah amlaem let.
