< Exodus 18 >

1 And Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people; that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.
UJethro, umphristi waseMidiyani owayenguyisezala kaMosi, wezwa konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzele uMosi labantu bakhe bako-Israyeli, lokuthi uThixo wayebakhuphe njani eGibhithe abako-Israyeli.
2 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
Ngemva kokuba uMosi esethumele umkakhe uZiphora kibo, uyisezala uJethro wamemukela,
3 and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom — for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,
lamadodana akhe amabili. Eyinye indodana kwakuthiwa nguGeshomu, ngoba uMosi wathi, “Sengibe ngumuntu wezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lami.”
4 — and the name of the other, Eliezer — For the God of my father has been my help, and has delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
Eyinye kwakuthiwa ngu-Eliyezari ngoba wathi, “UNkulunkulu kababa wayengumsizi wami: wangisindisa enkembeni kaFaro.”
5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God.
UJethro, uyisezala kaMosi kanye lamadodana lenkosikazi kaMosi beza kuye enkangala lapho ayehlala khona eduzane lentaba kaNkulunkulu.
6 And he sent word to Moses: I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
UJethro wayethumele ilizwi kuye wathi, “Mina uyihlozala uJethro ngiyeza kuwe lenkosikazi yakho lamadodana ayo amabili.”
7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other [after] their welfare, and went into the tent.
Ngakho uMosi waphuma wayahlangabeza uyisezala wasemkhothamela, wamanga. Babingelelana basebengena ethenteni.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake; all the trouble that had befallen them on the way, and [how] Jehovah had delivered them.
UMosi watshela uyisezala ngakho konke uThixo ayekwenze kuFaro labantu baseGibhithe ngenxa yabantu bako-Israyeli langezinhlupho zonke ezabehlela endleleni lokuthi uThixo wayebasindise njani.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness that Jehovah had done to Israel; that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
UJethro wathokoza ukuzwa ngezinto zonke ezinhle uThixo ayezenzele u-Israyeli ekubasindiseni esandleni samaGibhithe.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, 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.
Wathi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo owalisindisa esandleni samaGibhithe loFaro, njalo owasindisa abantu esandleni samaGibhithe.
11 Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for in the thing in which they acted haughtily [he was] above them.
Khathesi sengikwazi ukuthi uThixo ulamandla ukwedlula abanye onkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi wenza lokhu kubo bonke abaphatha u-Israyeli ngobuqholo.”
12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
Lapho-ke uJethro, uyisezala kaMosi, waletha umnikelo wokutshiswa leminye imihlatshelo kuNkulunkulu, njalo u-Aroni weza labadala bako-Israyeli ukuze bazokudla isinkwa loyisezala kaMosi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening.
Ngelanga elilandelayo uMosi wathatha isihlalo sakhe sokuba ngumthonisi wabantu, njalo bema bemgombolozele kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba ntambama.
14 And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did with the people, and said, What is this thing which thou art doing with the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people are standing by thee from morning to evening?
Kwathi uyisezala esebone konke uMosi ayekwenzela abantu wathi, “Kuyini lokhu okwenzela abantu? Kungani uhlala unguwe wedwa ukuba ngumahluli, abantu bonke bemi bekuhanqile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube kusihlwa?”
15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to enquire of God.
UMosi wamphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yokuthi abantu beza kimi ukuzodinga intando kaNkulunkulu.
16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known [to them] the statutes of God, and his laws.
Lapho kusiba lengxabano, ilethwa kimi, njalo ngiyahlulela emaceleni womabili besengibatshela ngemithetho lemilayo kaNkulunkulu.”
17 And Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou art doing is not good.
Uyisezala kaMosi waphendula wathi, “Konke okwenzayo kakulunganga.
18 Thou wilt be quite exhausted, both thou and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee: thou canst not perform it alone.
Wena labantu laba abeza kuwe lizazidinisa. Umsebenzi lo unzima kuwe: ungeke wawenza wedwa.
19 Hearken now to my voice: I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring the matters before God;
Ngilalela ngikucebise, njalo uNkulunkulu makabe lawe. Kumele ube ngummeli wabantu kuNkulunkulu, ulethe ingxabano zabo kuye.
20 and teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Bafundise izimiso lemithetho yakhe, ubatshengise indlela yokuphila lokuthi baziphathe njani.
21 But do thou provide among all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [them] over them, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens,
Kodwa khetha amadoda alamandla phakathi kwabantu bonke, amadoda amesabayo uNkulunkulu, azonda inzuzo eza ngobuqili, ubusubabeka babe zinduna zezinkulungwane, zamakhulu, zamatshumi amahlanu, lezamatshumi.
22 that they may judge the people at all times; and it shall be [that] they shall bring to thee every great matter, and that they shall judge every small matter, and they shall lighten [the task] on thee, and they shall bear [it] with thee.
Benze babe ngabahluleli babantu ngezikhathi zonke, kodwa kabalethe wonke amacala anzima kuwe bona baqume amacala alula. Lokho kuzakwenza ukuthi umthwalo wakho ube lula ngoba bazabe besabelana lawe.
23 If thou do this thing, and God command thee [so], thou wilt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
Nxa ungakwenza lokhu njengokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, uzakwenelisa ukuphumuza ingqondo njalo abantu bonke laba bazabuyela emakhaya besuthisekile.”
24 And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
UMosi wamlalela uyisezala wenza konke ayekutshilo.
25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.
Wakhetha amadoda alamandla phakathi kwabako-Israyeli wonke wawenza abakhokheli babantu, izinduna zezinkulungwane, ezamakhulu, ezamatshumi amahlanu lezamatshumi.
26 And they judged the people at all times: the hard matters they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged.
Baba ngabahluleli babantu ngazozonke izikhathi. Amacala anzima bawaletha kuMosi, kodwa alula bawathonisa bona ngokwabo.
27 And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he departed into his land.
UMosi wavalelisana loyisezala, uJethro wasebuyela elizweni lakhe.

< Exodus 18 >