Exodus 18
1 WHEN Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord 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 Then 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 which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
lamadodana akhe amabili. Eyinye indodana kwakuthiwa nguGeshomu, ngoba uMosi wathi, “Sengibe ngumuntu wezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lami.”
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and 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 with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
UJethro, uyisezala kaMosi kanye lamadodana lenkosikazi kaMosi beza kuye enkangala lapho ayehlala khona eduzane lentaba kaNkulunkulu.
6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto 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 of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
Ngakho uMosi waphuma wayahlangabeza uyisezala wasemkhothamela, wamanga. Babingelelana basebengena ethenteni.
8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord 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 which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered 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 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.
Wathi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo owalisindisa esandleni samaGibhithe loFaro, njalo owasindisa abantu esandleni samaGibhithe.
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly 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 before 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 unto the evening.
Ngelanga elilandelayo uMosi wathatha isihlalo sakhe sokuba ngumthonisi wabantu, njalo bema bemgombolozele kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba ntambama.
14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
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 unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:
UMosi wamphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yokuthi abantu beza kimi ukuzodinga intando kaNkulunkulu.
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know 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 unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Uyisezala kaMosi waphendula wathi, “Konke okwenzayo kakulunganga.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Wena labantu laba abeza kuwe lizazidinisa. Umsebenzi lo unzima kuwe: ungeke wawenza wedwa.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
Ngilalela ngikucebise, njalo uNkulunkulu makabe lawe. Kumele ube ngummeli wabantu kuNkulunkulu, ulethe ingxabano zabo kuye.
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Bafundise izimiso lemithetho yakhe, ubatshengise indlela yokuphila lokuthi baziphathe njani.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 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 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden 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 shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt 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 So 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, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 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 seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Baba ngabahluleli babantu ngazozonke izikhathi. Amacala anzima bawaletha kuMosi, kodwa alula bawathonisa bona ngokwabo.
27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
UMosi wavalelisana loyisezala, uJethro wasebuyela elizweni lakhe.
