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.
Jethro, papa tumun mutan kial Moses ac el mwet tol lun Midian, el tuh lohng ke ma nukewa ma God El oru kacl Moses ac ke mwet lal mwet Israel ke LEUM GOD El kololosla liki acn Egypt.
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,
Ouinge Jethro el tuku nu yorol Moses, ac usalu Zipporah, mutan kial Moses su Moses el tuh folokunulla,
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.”
oayapa Gershom ac Eliezer, wen luo natul Zipporah. (Moses el tuh fahk, “Nga sie mwetsac in sie pacna facl,” pa oru el sang inen sie wen natul ah Gershom.
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].”
El tuh oayapa fahk, “God lun papa tumuk El kasreyu moliyula ngan tia anwuki sin tokosra Egypt,” pa oru el sang inen tulik se ngia Eliezer.)
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.
Jethro el tuku, us mutan kial Moses ac wen luo natul nu yen mwesis, yen Moses el mutangan aktuktuk we ke eol mutal.
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!”
El supwala kas nu sel Moses lah elos ac tuku,
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.
ouinge Moses el illa som in osun nu sel, pasr ye mutal ac ngok mutal. Eltal siyuk sin sie sin sie lah moul laltal fuka, na eltal utyak nu in lohm nuknuk sel Moses.
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.
Moses el fahkang nu sel Jethro ma nukewa ma LEUM GOD El tuh oru nu sin tokosra ac nu sin mwet Egypt in pwanang moliyukla mwet Israel. El oayapa fahk nu sel ke ma upa nukewa ma sikyak nu selos inkanek lalos, ac fuka LEUM GOD El molelosla.
9 Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
Ke Jethro el lohng tari ma inge nukewa, el engan
10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
ac fahk, “Kaksakin LEUM GOD, su molikowosla liki mwet Egypt ac tokosra lalos! Kaksakin LEUM GOD, su molela mwet lal liki moul in mwet kohs!
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].”
Inge nga etu lah LEUM GOD El fulat liki god nukewa, mweyen El molela mwet Israel ke pacl mwet Egypt uh oru koluk nu selos ke sripen angyang lun insialos.”
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.
Na Jethro el use soko kosro in fonna kisakinyuk in mwe kisa firir, wi pac mwe kisa saya in kisakinyuk nu sin LEUM GOD. Ac Aaron ac mwet kol lun Israel nukewa welul som mongo ke mwe mongo mutal inge ye mutun God.
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.
Ke len tok ah Moses el kafofo ke aksuwosye amei inmasrlon mwet uh, su tu ye mutal ke lotutang nwe ke fongeni.
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]?”
Ke Jethro el liye ma nukewa Moses el oru nu sin mwet uh, el siyuk, “Meawin kom oru nu sin mwet uh inge? Efu ku kom mukena oru ma inge, ke mwet uh tu inge lotutang nwe ke fongeni soano pacl lalos yurum?”
15 Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
Moses el topuk, “Mweyen mwet uh tuku nu yuruk in siyuk ke ma lungse lun God.
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.”
Pacl se mwet luo ac ameila, eltal ac tuku nu yuruk, ac nga ac wotela lah su seltal pwaye, ac nga aketeya ma sap ac oakwuk lun God nu seltal.”
17 Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
Na Jethro el fahk, “Tia pa ingan ma kom ac oru.
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.
Kom sifacna akmunasyekomla ac oayapa mwet lom inge. Orekma se inge arulana toasr nu sum in mukena oru.
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.
Inge, porongo kas in kasru luk nu sum, ac God El ac fah wi kom. Fal kom in aol mwet uh ye mutun God, ac sang mwe elya lalos nu sel.
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.
Kom enenu in lotelos ma sap lun God, ac aketeya nu selos lah elos ac moul fuka, ac mea fal elos in oru.
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].
Tusruktu, kom enenu in sulela kutu mwet ma fal ac pah in nunak tuh elos in mwet kol lun mwet uh — mwet kol nu fin tausin, fin foko, fin lumngaul ac fin singoul. Mwet inge elos in mwet sangeng sin God, su ku in lulalfongiyuk ac tia wela eyeinse lun mwet.
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.
Lela elos in kulansap oana mwet nununku nu sin mwet ma elos leum fac uh ke pacl nukewa. Elos fah use ma upa nukewa nu yurum, tusruktu elos ku in sifacna wotela elya srisrik nukewa uh. Fin ouinge, ac fisrasr nu sum ke elos kasrekom in sruhk orekma toasr kunom inge.
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”].
Kom fin oru ouinge, oana ma God El sapkin, kom ac fah tia totola, ac mwet inge nukewa ac ku in folok nu acn selos ke inse misla mweyen elya lalos uh akwoyeyukla.”
24 Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
Moses el insese nu ke kas in kasru lal Jethro
25 Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
ac el sulela mwet ma fal ac pah in nunak sin mwet Israel nukewa tuh elos in mwet kol fin tausin, foko, lumngaul, ac singoul.
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.
In pacl sac fahla, mwet inge elos oru orekma lun mwet nununku nu sin mwet Israel. Ma yohk ac upa elos us nu yorol Moses, ac elos sifacna wotela amei srisrik.
27 Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
Na Moses el wilkas nu sel Jethro, ac Jethro el folokla nu yen sel ah.
