Exodus 18
1 Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people the Israelites, and how the Lord had led them out of Egypt.
ἤκουσεν δὲ Ιοθορ ὁ ἱερεὺς Μαδιαμ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν κύριος Ισραηλ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ λαῷ ἐξήγαγεν γὰρ κύριος τὸν Ισραηλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου
2 When Moses had sent home his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had welcomed her,
ἔλαβεν δὲ Ιοθορ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ Σεπφωραν τὴν γυναῖκα Μωυσῆ μετὰ τὴν ἄφεσιν αὐτῆς
3 together with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
καὶ τοὺς δύο υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ὄνομα τῷ ἑνὶ αὐτῶν Γηρσαμ λέγων πάροικος ἤμην ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ
4 The other son was named Eliezer, because Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper, and saved me from death at Pharaoh's hand.”
καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ δευτέρου Ελιεζερ λέγων ὁ γὰρ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου βοηθός μου καὶ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραω
5 Moses' father-in-law Jethro, together with Moses' wife and sons, came to see him in the desert at the camp near the mountain of God.
καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ιοθορ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς Μωυσῆν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον οὗ παρενέβαλεν ἐπ’ ὄρους τοῦ θεοῦ
6 Moses was told beforehand, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to see you together with your wife and her two sons.”
ἀνηγγέλη δὲ Μωυσεῖ λέγοντες ἰδοὺ ὁ γαμβρός σου Ιοθορ παραγίνεται πρὸς σέ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ οἱ δύο υἱοί σου μετ’ αὐτοῦ
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other how they were and then went into the tent.
ἐξῆλθεν δὲ Μωυσῆς εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ γαμβρῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐφίλησεν αὐτόν καὶ ἠσπάσαντο ἀλλήλους καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν σκηνήν
8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians on behalf of the Israelites, about all the troubles they had experienced on the way, and about how the Lord had saved them.
καὶ διηγήσατο Μωυσῆς τῷ γαμβρῷ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν κύριος τῷ Φαραω καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἕνεκεν τοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ πάντα τὸν μόχθον τὸν γενόμενον αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραω καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων
9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he'd saved them from the Egyptians.
ἐξέστη δὲ Ιοθορ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἐποίησεν αὐτοῖς κύριος ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραω
10 Jethro announced, “May the Lord be blessed, who saved you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh.
καὶ εἶπεν Ιοθορ εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὅτι ἐξείλατο τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραω
11 This is so convincing to me that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he saved the people from the Egyptians when they acted so arrogantly towards the Israelites.”
νῦν ἔγνων ὅτι μέγας κύριος παρὰ πάντας τοὺς θεούς ἕνεκεν τούτου ὅτι ἐπέθεντο αὐτοῖς
12 Then Jethro presented a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with him in God's presence.
καὶ ἔλαβεν Ιοθορ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίας τῷ θεῷ παρεγένετο δὲ Ααρων καὶ πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ισραηλ συμφαγεῖν ἄρτον μετὰ τοῦ γαμβροῦ Μωυσῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ
13 The following day Moses sat as a judge for the people, and they presented their cases to him from morning to evening.
καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν ἐπαύριον συνεκάθισεν Μωυσῆς κρίνειν τὸν λαόν παρειστήκει δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς Μωυσεῖ ἀπὸ πρωίθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας
14 When his father-in-law saw everything that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What's all this you're doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone as judge, with everyone presenting their cases to you from morning to evening?”
καὶ ἰδὼν Ιοθορ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίει τῷ λαῷ λέγει τί τοῦτο ὃ σὺ ποιεῖς τῷ λαῷ διὰ τί σὺ κάθησαι μόνος πᾶς δὲ ὁ λαὸς παρέστηκέν σοι ἀπὸ πρωίθεν ἕως δείλης
15 “Because the people come to me to ask God for his decision,” Moses replied.
καὶ λέγει Μωυσῆς τῷ γαμβρῷ ὅτι παραγίνεται πρός με ὁ λαὸς ἐκζητῆσαι κρίσιν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ
16 “When they argue over something, the case is brought before me to decide between one them, and I explain to them the God's laws and regulations.”
ὅταν γὰρ γένηται αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογία καὶ ἔλθωσι πρός με διακρίνω ἕκαστον καὶ συμβιβάζω αὐτοὺς τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ
17 Jethro told him, “What you're doing is not the best.
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ πρὸς αὐτόν οὐκ ὀρθῶς σὺ ποιεῖς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο
18 You, and these people who come to you, are all going to wear yourselves out, because the workload is far too heavy. You can't handle it alone.
φθορᾷ καταφθαρήσῃ ἀνυπομονήτῳ καὶ σὺ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὅς ἐστιν μετὰ σοῦ βαρύ σοι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο οὐ δυνήσῃ ποιεῖν μόνος
19 So please listen to me. I'm going to give you some advice, and God will be with you. Yes, you must continue to be the people's representative before God, and take their cases to him.
νῦν οὖν ἄκουσόν μου καὶ συμβουλεύσω σοι καὶ ἔσται ὁ θεὸς μετὰ σοῦ γίνου σὺ τῷ λαῷ τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἀνοίσεις τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν
20 Go on teaching them the laws and regulations. Show them how to live and the work they are to do.
καὶ διαμαρτυρῇ αὐτοῖς τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ καὶ σημανεῖς αὐτοῖς τὰς ὁδούς ἐν αἷς πορεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιήσουσιν
21 But now you should choose men who are competent from among the people, men who respect God and who are trustworthy and not corrupt. Put them in charge of the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
καὶ σὺ σεαυτῷ σκέψαι ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς θεοσεβεῖς ἄνδρας δικαίους μισοῦντας ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ καταστήσεις αὐτοὺς ἐπ’ αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους
22 These men are to judge the people on a continuing basis. Major issues they can bring to you, but they can decide all the small matters themselves. In this way your burden will be made lighter as they share it with you.
καὶ κρινοῦσιν τὸν λαὸν πᾶσαν ὥραν τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τὸ ὑπέρογκον ἀνοίσουσιν ἐπὶ σέ τὰ δὲ βραχέα τῶν κριμάτων κρινοῦσιν αὐτοὶ καὶ κουφιοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ συναντιλήμψονταί σοι
23 If you follow my advice, and if it's what God tells you to do, then you will be able to survive, and all these people can go home satisfied that their cases have been heard.”
ἐὰν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ποιήσῃς κατισχύσει σε ὁ θεός καὶ δυνήσῃ παραστῆναι καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον μετ’ εἰρήνης ἥξει
24 Moses listened to what his father-in-law said and followed all his advice.
ἤκουσεν δὲ Μωυσῆς τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ γαμβροῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ὅσα αὐτῷ εἶπεν
25 So Moses chose competent men from all of Israel and put them in charge of the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
καὶ ἐπέλεξεν Μωυσῆς ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς Ισραηλ καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπ’ αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους
26 They acted as judges for the people on a continuing basis. They brought the difficult cases to Moses, but they would judge the small matters themselves.
καὶ ἐκρίνοσαν τὸν λαὸν πᾶσαν ὥραν πᾶν δὲ ῥῆμα ὑπέρογκον ἀνεφέροσαν ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν πᾶν δὲ ῥῆμα ἐλαφρὸν ἐκρίνοσαν αὐτοί
27 Then Moses sent Jethro on his way, and he went back to his own country.
ἐξαπέστειλεν δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ γαμβρόν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ
