< Exodus 18 >

1 And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, hears all that God has done for Moses and for His people Israel, that YHWH has brought out Israel from Egypt,
梅瑟的岳父,米德楊的司祭耶特洛,聽說天主為梅瑟和自己的百姓以色列所行的一切,聽說上主將以色列人領出了埃及,
2 and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, takes Zipporah, wife of Moses, after her parting,
梅瑟的岳父耶特洛便帶回梅瑟送回去的妻子漆頗辣和
3 and her two sons, of whom the name of one [is] Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a strange land”;
他兩個兒子:─一個名叫革爾雄,因為梅瑟說:「我在外方作了旅客;」
4 and the name of the other [is] Eliezer, for, “The God of my father [is] for my help, and He delivers me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
一個名叫厄里厄則爾,意謂:「我父親的天主是我的救援,救我脫離了法朗的刀劍。」─
5 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, comes, and his sons, and his wife, to Moses, to the wilderness where he is encamping—the mountain of God;
梅瑟的岳父耶特洛同梅瑟的兒子和妻子來到了梅瑟那裏,來到曠野,近天主的山,梅瑟安營的地方,
6 and he says to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.”
便叫人告訴梅瑟說:「看,你的岳父耶特洛來見你,你的妻子和兩個兒子也一同來了。」
7 And Moses goes out to meet his father-in-law, and bows himself, and kisses him, and they ask of one another of welfare, and come into the tent;
梅瑟就出來迎接他的岳父,向他下拜,口親他,彼此問安,隨後進了營幕。
8 and Moses recounts to his father-in-law all that YHWH has done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account of Israel, all the travail which has found them in the way, and [how] YHWH delivers them.
梅瑟給他岳父講述了上主為以色列的原故,對法朗和埃及人所行的一切,以及路上遭遇的一切困難,上主怎樣整救了他們。
9 And Jethro rejoices for all the good which YHWH has done to Israel, whom He has delivered from the hand of the Egyptians;
耶特洛聽了上主賜給以色列的各種恩惠,從埃及人手中整救了他們,很是高興。
10 and Jethro says, “Blessed [is] YHWH, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh—who has delivered this people from under the hand of the Egyptians;
耶特洛說:「上主應受讚頌,他從埃及人和法朗手中拯救了你們,由埃! 人手中救出了這百姓。
11 now I have known that YHWH [is] greater than all the gods, for in the thing they have acted proudly—[He is] above them!”
現今我知道「雅威」是眾神中最大的,因為他由那些傲慢對待以色列人的埃及手中,救出這百姓。」
12 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, takes a burnt-offering and sacrifices [it] for God; and Aaron comes in, and all [the] elderly of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.
梅瑟的岳父耶特洛向天主獻了全燔祭和犧牲,亞郎和以色列眾長老都來到天主前,同梅瑟的岳父聚餐。耶特洛的建議
13 And it comes to pass on the next day, that Moses sits to judge the people, and the people stand before Moses from the morning to the evening;
次日,梅瑟坐著審判百姓的案件,百姓從早晨到晚上站在梅瑟前。
14 and the father-in-law of Moses sees all that he is doing for the people and says, “What [is] this thing which you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people standing by you from morning until evening?”
梅瑟的岳父看見他對百姓所行的種種,就說:「你對百姓所作的是什麼事﹖為什麼你獨自一人管理,叫眾百姓從早晨到晚上站在你前﹖」
15 And Moses says to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God;
梅瑟回答他岳父說:「因為百姓到我跟前詢問天主。
16 when they have a matter, it has come to me, and I have judged between a man and his neighbor, and made known the statutes of God, and His laws.”
他們有訴訟的事,就來到我跟前,我便在兩造之間施行審判,講明天主的典章和法律。」
17 And the father-in-law of Moses says to him, “The thing which you are doing [is] not good;
梅瑟的岳父對他說:「你這樣作不對。
18 you surely wear away, both you, and this people which [is] with you, for the thing is too heavy for you, you are not able to do it by yourself.
不但使你自己疲乏,而且也使你同你一起的百姓疲勞不堪,因為這事超過你的力量,你獨自一人是不能勝任的。
19 Now listen to my voice, I counsel you, and God is with you: be for the people before God, and you have brought in the things to God;
現在你聽我的話,我給你出一個主意。願天主與你同在! 你在天主前代表這個百姓,將他們的案件呈到天主前;
20 and you have warned them [concerning] the statutes and the laws, and have made known to them the way in which they go, and the work which they do.
也將典章和法律教訓他們,告訴他們應走的正路,應行的事項。
21 And you provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and have placed [these] over them [for] heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,
你要從百姓中挑選有才能,敬畏天主,忠實可靠,捨己無私的人,派他們作千夫長、百夫長,五十夫長、十夫長,
22 and they have judged the people at all times; and it has come to pass, they bring every great matter to you, and they judge every small matter themselves; and lighten it from off yourself, and they have borne with you.
叫他們隨時審斷百姓的案件。若有任何重大案件,呈交你處理;其餘一切小案件,可由他們自己處理;叫他們與你分擔,你就輕鬆多了。
23 If you do this thing, and God has commanded you, then you have been able to stand, and all this people also goes to its place in peace.”
你若這樣作,─天主也這樣命你─你就抵受得住,眾百姓也能平安,各歸其所。」
24 And Moses listens to the voice of his father-in-law, and does all that he said,
梅瑟聽從了他岳父的話,也都照他說的行了。
25 and Moses chooses men of ability out of all Israel, and makes them chiefs over the people [for] heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,
梅瑟從全以色列人選拔了有才能的人,立他們作百姓的頭目,作千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長和十夫長,
26 and they have judged the people at all times; they bring the hard matter to Moses, and they judge every small matter themselves.
叫它們隨時審斷百姓的案件;重大的案件,呈交梅瑟處理;一切小案件,由他們自己處理。
27 And Moses sends his father-in-law away, and he goes away to his own land.
以後梅瑟送他岳父回了本地。

< Exodus 18 >