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;
Yitro, mertua Musa, imam di Midian, mendengar tentang segala sesuatu yang dikerjakan Allah untuk Musa dan bangsa Israel, pada waktu ia memimpin mereka keluar dari Mesir.
2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
Maka pergilah Yitro mengunjungi Musa, membawa Zipora, istri Musa yang masih tinggal di Midian,
3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an foreigner in a strange land:
bersama Gersom dan Eliezer, kedua anaknya laki-laki. Anak yang pertama dinamakan Gersom karena Musa berkata, "Aku seorang pendatang di negeri asing";
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:
anak yang kedua dinamakan Eliezer karena Musa berkata, "Allah pujaan nenek moyangku telah menolong dan menyelamatkan aku sehingga aku tidak dibunuh oleh raja Mesir".
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:
Yitro datang bersama istri Musa dan kedua anaknya ke padang gurun tempat Musa berkemah dekat gunung suci.
6 And he said unto Moses, I your father in law Jethro am come unto you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.
Musa diberi kabar bahwa mereka datang,
7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did reverence, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
maka keluarlah ia menyambut mereka. Ia sujud di depan Yitro dan menciumnya. Mereka saling menanyakan kesehatan masing-masing, lalu masuk ke dalam kemah Musa.
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.
Musa menceritakan kepada mertuanya segala sesuatu yang diperbuat TUHAN terhadap raja dan bangsa Mesir untuk menyelamatkan orang Israel. Ia juga menceritakan kepadanya tentang kesulitan-kesulitan yang dihadapi bangsa Israel di tengah jalan, dan bagaimana TUHAN menyelamatkan mereka.
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.
Mendengar semua itu, Yitro merasa gembira
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, 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.
dan berkata, "Terpujilah TUHAN yang menyelamatkan kamu dari tangan raja dan bangsa Mesir! Terpujilah TUHAN yang membebaskan bangsa Israel dari perbudakan!
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Sekarang saya tahu bahwa TUHAN lebih besar dari semua ilah, karena semua itu dilakukan-Nya ketika orang Mesir bertindak dengan amat sombong terhadap orang Israel."
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.
Kemudian Yitro membawa beberapa kurban bakaran dan kurban sembelihan sebagai persembahan kepada Allah. Harun dan semua pemimpin bangsa Israel datang dan makan bersama-sama dengan Yitro dalam kehadiran Allah.
13 And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
Keesokan harinya Musa mengadili perselisihan-perselisihan antara orang-orang Israel. Pekerjaan itu makan waktu dari pagi sampai malam.
14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that you do to the people? why sit you yourself alone, and all the people stand by you from morning unto even?
Ketika Yitro melihat semua yang harus dikerjakan Musa, ia bertanya, "Apa saja yang harus kaukerjakan untuk bangsa ini? Haruskah semua ini kaukerjakan sendirian, sehingga untuk minta nasihatmu saja, orang-orang itu mesti berdiri di sini dari pagi sampai malam?"
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
Jawab Musa, "Orang-orang itu datang kepada saya untuk mengetahui kehendak Allah.
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.
Kalau mereka berselisih, mereka menghadap saya supaya memutuskan perkara mereka, dan saya sampaikan kepada mereka perintah-perintah dan hukum-hukum Allah."
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that you do is not good.
Kata Yitro, "Tidak baik begitu.
18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you: for this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it yourself alone.
Dengan cara itu engkau melelahkan dirimu sendiri, dan juga orang-orang itu. Pekerjaan itu terlalu banyak untuk satu orang.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give you counsel, and God shall be with you: Be you for the people toward God, that you may bring the causes unto God:
Dengarlah nasihat saya, dan Allah akan menolongmu. Memang baik engkau mewakili bangsa ini di hadapan Allah dan membawa persoalan mereka kepada-Nya.
20 And you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Engkau harus mengajarkan kepada mereka perintah-perintah Allah dan menerangkan cara hidup yang baik dan apa yang harus mereka lakukan.
21 Moreover you shall 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:
Tetapi di samping itu engkau harus memilih beberapa orang laki-laki yang bijaksana, dan menunjuk mereka menjadi pemimpin atas seribu orang, seratus orang, lima puluh orang, dan sepuluh orang. Mereka hendaknya orang-orang yang takut dan taat kepada Allah, dapat dipercaya dan tak mau menerima uang suap.
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto you, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for yourself, and they shall bear the burden with you.
Suruhlah mereka bertindak sebagai hakim bangsa ini, masing-masing bagi kelompoknya. Tugas itu harus mereka lakukan secara teratur. Perkara-perkara yang penting boleh mereka ajukan kepadamu, tetapi perselisihan yang kecil-kecil dapat mereka bereskan sendiri. Hal itu akan meringankan engkau karena mereka ikut bertanggung jawab.
23 If you shall do this thing, and God command you so, then you shall be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
Jika engkau berbuat begitu, dan hal itu diperintahkan Allah kepadamu, engkau akan mampu melakukan tugasmu, dan semua orang akan pulang dengan puas karena persoalan mereka cepat dibereskan."
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Musa mengikuti nasihat Yitro,
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.
dan memilih orang-orang yang bijaksana di antara bangsa Israel. Ia menunjuk mereka menjadi pemimpin atas seribu orang, seratus orang, lima puluh orang, dan sepuluh orang.
26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Mereka menjalankan tugasnya sebagai hakim-hakim atas bangsa Israel. Perkara-perkara penting mereka ajukan kepada Musa, sedangkan perselisihan kecil-kecil mereka bereskan sendiri.
27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Kemudian Musa melepas Yitro pergi dan pulanglah Yitro ke negerinya.
