Exodus 18
1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people. He heard that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Cumque audisset Jethro, sacerdos Madian, cognatus Moysi, omnia quæ fecerat Deus Moysi, et Israëli populo suo, et quod eduxisset Dominus Israël de Ægypto,
2 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home,
tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat,
3 and her two sons; the name of the one son was Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
et duos filios ejus: quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre: Advena fui in terra aliena;
4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for Moses had said, “My ancestor's God was my help. He rescued me from Pharaoh's sword.”
alter vero Eliezer: Deus enim, ait, patris mei adjutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.
5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.
Venit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi, et filii ejus, et uxor ejus ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus juxta montem Dei.
6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
Et mandavit Moysi, dicens: Ego Jethro cognatus tuus venio ad te, et uxor tua, et duo filii cum ea.
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked about each other's welfare and then went into the tent.
Qui egressus in occursum cognati sui, adoravit, et osculatus est eum: salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis. Cumque intrasset tabernaculum,
8 Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, about all the hardships that had come to them along the way, and how Yahweh had rescued them.
narravit Moyses cognato suo cuncta quæ fecerat Dominus Pharaoni et Ægyptiis propter Israël: universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.
9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, in that he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
Lætatusque est Jethro super omnibus bonis, quæ fecerat Dominus Israëli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum.
10 Jethro said, “May Yahweh be praised, for he has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
Et ait: Benedictus Dominus, qui liberavit vos de manu Ægyptiorum, et de manu Pharaonis; qui eruit populum suum de manu Ægypti.
11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, because when the Egyptians treated the Israelites arrogantly, God rescued his people.”
Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos: eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.
12 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal before God with Moses' father-in-law.
Obtulit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo: veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israël, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.
13 On the next day Moses sat down to judge the people. The people stood around him from morning until evening.
Altera autem die sedit Moyses ut judicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi a mane usque ad vesperam.
14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing with the people? Why is it that you sit alone and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”
Quod cum vidisset cognatus ejus, omnia scilicet quæ agebat in populo, ait: Quid est hoc quod facis in plebe? cur solus sedes, et omnis populus præstolatur de mane usque ad vesperam?
15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me to ask for God's direction.
Cui respondit Moyses: Venit ad me populus quærens sententiam Dei:
16 When they have a dispute, they come to me. I decide between one person and another, and I teach them God's statutes and laws.”
cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me ut judicem inter eos, et ostendam præcepta Dei, et leges ejus.
17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not very good.
At ille: Non bonam, inquit, rem facis.
18 You will surely wear yourselves out, you and the people who are with you. This burden is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.
Stulto labore consumeris et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est: ultra vires tuas est negotium; solus illud non poteris sustinere.
19 Listen to me. I will give you advice, and God will be with you, because you are the people's representative to God, and you bring their disputes to him.
Sed audi verba mea atque consilia, et erit Deus tecum. Esto tu populo in his quæ ad Deum pertinent, ut referas quæ dicuntur ad eum:
20 You must teach them his statutes and laws. You must show them the way to walk and the work to do.
ostendasque populo cæremonias et ritum colendi, viamque per quam ingredi debeant, et opus quod facere debeant.
21 Furthermore, you must choose capable men from all the people, men who honor God, men of truth who hate unjust gain. You must put them over people, to be leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and of tens.
Provide autem de omni plebe viros potentes, et timentes Deum, in quibus sit veritas, et qui oderint avaritiam, et constitue ex eis tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos,
22 They will judge the people in all routine cases, but the difficult cases they will bring to you. As for all the small cases, they can judge those themselves. In that way it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you.
qui judicent populum omni tempore: quidquid autem majus fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo judicent: leviusque sit tibi, partito in alios onere.
23 If you do this, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure, and the entire people will be able to go home satisfied.”
Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et præcepta ejus poteris sustentare: et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.
24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law's words and did everything that he had said.
Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia quæ ille suggesserat.
25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israël, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.
26 They judged the people in normal circumstances. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but they themselves judged all the small cases.
Qui judicabant plebem omni tempore: quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo judicantes.
27 Then Moses let his father-in-law leave, and Jethro went back into his own land.
Dimisitque cognatum suum: qui reversus abiit in terram suam.
