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;
Cumque audisset Iethro, sacerdos Madian, cognatus Moysi, omnia quae fecerat Deus Moysi, et Israeli populo suo, et quod eduxisset Dominus Israel de Aegypto:
2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat:
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:
et duos filios eius, quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre: Advena fui in terra aliena.
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:
Alter vero Eliezer: Deus enim, ait, patris mei adiutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.
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:
Venit ergo Iethro cognatus Moysi, et filii eius, et uxor eius ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei.
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.
Et mandavit Moysi, dicens: Ego Iethro cognatus tuus venio ad te, et uxor tua, et duo filii cum ea.
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.
Qui egressus in occursum cognati sui, adoravit, et osculatus est eum: salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis. Cumque intrasset tabernaculum,
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.
narravit Moyses cognato suo cuncta quae fecerat Dominus Pharaoni, et Aegyptiis propter Israel: universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.
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.
Laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis, quae fecerat Dominus Israeli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum,
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.
et ait: Benedictus Dominus, qui liberavit vos de manu Aegyptiorum, et de manu Pharaonis, qui eruit populum suum de manu Aegypti.
11 Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them.
Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos: eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.
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.
Obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Domino: veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israel, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.
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.
Altera autem die sedit Moyses ut iudicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi a mane usque ad vesperam.
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?
Quod cum vidisset cognatus eius, omnia scilicet quae agebat in populo, ait: Quid est hoc quod facis in plebe? cur solus sedes, et omnis populus praestolatur de mane usque ad vesperam?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
Cui respondit Moyses: Venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei.
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.
Cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos, et ostendam praecepta Dei, et leges eius.
17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good.
At ille: Non bonam, inquit, rem facis:
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.
stulto labore consumeris et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est: ultra vires tuas est negotium, solus illud non poteris sustinere.
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:
Sed audi verba mea atque consilia, et erit Dominus tecum. Esto tu populo in his quae ad Deum pertinent, ut referas quae dicuntur ad eum:
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.
ostendasque populo ceremonias et ritum colendi, viamque per quam ingredi debeant, et opus quod facere debeant.
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:
Provide autem de omni plebe viros sapientes, et timentes Deum, in quibus sit veritas, et qui oderint avaritiam, et constitue ex eis tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos
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.
qui iudicent populum omni tempore: quidquid autem maius fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent: leviusque sit tibi, partito in alios onere.
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.
Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et praecepta eius poteris sustentare: et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia quae ille suggesserat.
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.
Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israel, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.
26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore: quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo iudicantes.
27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Dimisitque cognatum suum: qui reversus abiit in terram suam.
