Exodus 18
1 Jethro, who was the priest for the Midian people-group, and who was also Moses’/my father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for the Israeli people. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt.
茲にモーセの外舅なるミデアンの祭司ヱテロ神が凡てモーセのため又その民イスラエルのために爲したまひし事ヱホバがイスラエルをエジプトより導き出したまひし事を聞り
2 Moses/I had [previously] sent his/my wife Zipporah [back home when he/I was returning to Egypt]. But now Jethro came to him/me,
是に於てモーセの外舅ヱテロかの遣り還されてありしモーセの妻チッポラとその二人の子を挈へ來る
3 bringing Zipporah and their/our two sons. One son was named Gershom, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘foreigner’], because he/I had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another land.”
その子の一人の名はゲルシヨムと云ふ是はモーセ我他國に客となりをると言たればなり
4 Her other son was named Eliezer, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘God helps me’], because [he/I] had said “God, whom my father [worshiped], has helped me and saved [me] from being killed [MTY] by the king [of Egypt].”
今一人の名はエリエゼルと曰ふ是はかれ吾父の神われを助け我を救ひてパロの劍を免かれしめたまふと言たればなり
5 While Moses/I was camped [with the Israeli people] in the desert [near Sinai], God’s sacred/holy mountain, Jethro came to him/me, bringing along Moses’/my wife and our [two] sons.
斯モーセの外舅ヱテロ、モーセの子等と妻をつれて曠野に來りモーセが神の山に陣を張る處にいたる
6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses/me, “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you, bringing along your wife and your two sons!”
彼すなはちモーセに言けるは汝の外舅なる我ヱテロ汝の妻および之と供なるその二人の子をたづさへて汝に詣ると
7 So Moses/I went out of the campsite to meet his/my father-in-law. He/I bowed before him, and kissed him [on the cheek]. (They both/We) asked each other, “Have you been healthy?” Then they/we went into [Moses’/my] tent.
モーセ出てその外舅を迎へ禮をなして之に接吻し互に其安否を問て共に天幕に入る
8 Moses/I told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the [other] people in Egypt for the sake of the Israeli people. He/I also told him about the troubles/problems they/we had experienced on the way, and how Yahweh had helped them/us.
而してモーセ、ヱホバがイスラエルのためにパロとエジプト人とに爲たまひし諸の事と途にて遇し諸の艱難およびヱホバの己等を拯ひたまひし事をその外舅に語りければ
9 Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
ヱテロ、ヱホバがイスラエルをエジプト人の手より救ひいだして之に諸の恩典をたまひし事を喜べり
10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
ヱテロすなはち言けるはヱホバは頌べき哉汝等をエジプト人の手とパロの手より救ひいだし民をエジプト人の手の下より拯ひいだせり
11 Now I realize that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued you all from the power [MTY] of the proud Egyptians when [they] were causing you [to suffer].”
今我知るヱホバは諸の神よりも大なり彼等傲慢を逞しうして事をなせしがヱホバかれらに勝りと
12 Then Jethro sacrificed an animal by burning it completely on the altar [as an offering], and he also offered other sacrifices to God. Aaron and the Israeli elders/leaders went with them/us to eat a sacred meal with Jethro.
而してモーセの外舅ヱテロ燔祭と犠牲をヱホバに持きたれりアロンおよびイスラエルの長老等皆きたりてモーセの外舅とともに神の前に食をなす
13 The next day, Moses/I sat down at the place where he/I settled disputes among the people. The people were continually bringing their disputes to Moses/me, from morning until evening.
次の日にいたりてモーセ坐して民を審判きしが民は朝より夕までモーセの傍に立り
14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses/I was doing for the people, he said, “(Why are you doing all this for the people?/You should not be doing all this for the people!) [RHQ] Why are you doing this by yourself, and all the people are crowding around you, from morning until evening, [asking you to make decisions for them] [RHQ]?”
モーセの外舅モーセの凡て民に爲ところを見て言けるは汝が民になす此事は何なるや何故に汝は一人坐しをりて民朝より夕まで汝の傍にたつや
15 Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
モーセその外舅に言けるは民神に問んとて我に來るなり
16 When they have a dispute about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. I also tell them all of God’s laws and instructions.”
彼等事ある時は我に來れば我此と彼とを審判きて神の法度と律法を知しむ
17 Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
モーセの外舅これに言けるは汝のなすところ善らず
18 You and these people will (wear yourselves out/become exhausted)! This work is too much for one person. You are not able to do it by yourself.
汝かならず氣力おとろへん汝も汝とともなる民も然らん此事汝には重に過ぐ汝一人にては之を爲ことあたはざるべし
19 Now listen to some good advice [MTY] I will give to you. [If you do what I suggest], God will help you. You should continue to speak to God and tell him about the people’s disputes.
今吾言を聽け我なんぢに策を授けん願くは神なんぢとともに在せ汝民のために神の前に居り訴訟を神に陳よ
20 You should [also] teach the people what God has commanded and instructed you. You should also explain to them how they should conduct their lives, and the things that they should do.
汝かれらに法度と律法を敎へ彼等の歩むべき道と爲べき事とを彼等に示せ
21 But in addition, you should choose some [other men to help you]. Choose men who have reverence for God and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions [for groups of] ten people, [some for groups of] 50 [people], [some for groups of] 100 [people], [and some for groups of] 1,000 [people].
又汝全體の民の中より賢して神を畏れ眞實を重んじ利を惡むところの人を選み之を民の上に立て千人の司となし百人の司となし五十人の司となし十人の司となすべし
22 Allow them to serve permanently to settle disputes for the people. The difficult matters the people can bring to you; but the matters that are not difficult, they can decide themselves. That will make the work easier for you, as they help you do that work.
而して彼等をして常に民を鞫かしめ大事は凡てこれを汝に陳しめ小事は凡て彼等みづからこれを判かしむべし斯汝の身の煩瑣を省き彼らをして汝とその任を共にせしめよ
23 If you do that, and [I think that] God is telling you to do it (OR, if God tells you to do it), you will not become exhausted, and all the people will be able to go home feeling satisfied about the decisions, [with their disputes settled quickly”].
汝もし此事を爲し神また斯汝に命じなば汝はこれに勝ん此民もまた安然にその所に到ることを得べし
24 Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
モーセその外舅の言にしたがひてその凡て言しごとく成り
25 Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
モーセすなはちイスラエルの中より遍く賢き人を擇みてこれを民の長となし千人の司となし百人の司となし五十人の司となし十人の司となせり
26 They were appointed permanently to make decisions about the people’s disputes. They brought the difficult cases to Moses/me, but they decided the matters that were not difficult by themselves.
彼等常に民を鞫き難事はこれをモーセに陳べ小事は凡て自らこれを判けり
27 Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
斯てモーセその外舅を還したればその國に往ぬ
