Exodus 18
1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Yitro, mertua Musa, imam di Midian, mendengar tentang segala sesuatu yang dikerjakan Allah untuk Musa dan bangsa Israel, pada waktu ia memimpin mereka keluar dari Mesir.
2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
Maka pergilah Yitro mengunjungi Musa, membawa Zipora, istri Musa yang masih tinggal di Midian,
3 and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
bersama Gersom dan Eliezer, kedua anaknya laki-laki. Anak yang pertama dinamakan Gersom karena Musa berkata, "Aku seorang pendatang di negeri asing";
4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
anak yang kedua dinamakan Eliezer karena Musa berkata, "Allah pujaan nenek moyangku telah menolong dan menyelamatkan aku sehingga aku tidak dibunuh oleh raja Mesir".
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.
Yitro datang bersama istri Musa dan kedua anaknya ke padang gurun tempat Musa berkemah dekat gunung suci.
6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
Musa diberi kabar bahwa mereka datang,
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
maka keluarlah ia menyambut mereka. Ia sujud di depan Yitro dan menciumnya. Mereka saling menanyakan kesehatan masing-masing, lalu masuk ke dalam kemah Musa.
8 Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
Musa menceritakan kepada mertuanya segala sesuatu yang diperbuat TUHAN terhadap raja dan bangsa Mesir untuk menyelamatkan orang Israel. Ia juga menceritakan kepadanya tentang kesulitan-kesulitan yang dihadapi bangsa Israel di tengah jalan, dan bagaimana TUHAN menyelamatkan mereka.
9 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Mendengar semua itu, Yitro merasa gembira
10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
dan berkata, "Terpujilah TUHAN yang menyelamatkan kamu dari tangan raja dan bangsa Mesir! Terpujilah TUHAN yang membebaskan bangsa Israel dari perbudakan!
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
Sekarang saya tahu bahwa TUHAN lebih besar dari semua ilah, karena semua itu dilakukan-Nya ketika orang Mesir bertindak dengan amat sombong terhadap orang Israel."
12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
Kemudian Yitro membawa beberapa kurban bakaran dan kurban sembelihan sebagai persembahan kepada Allah. Harun dan semua pemimpin bangsa Israel datang dan makan bersama-sama dengan Yitro dalam kehadiran Allah.
13 On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
Keesokan harinya Musa mengadili perselisihan-perselisihan antara orang-orang Israel. Pekerjaan itu makan waktu dari pagi sampai malam.
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”
Ketika Yitro melihat semua yang harus dikerjakan Musa, ia bertanya, "Apa saja yang harus kaukerjakan untuk bangsa ini? Haruskah semua ini kaukerjakan sendirian, sehingga untuk minta nasihatmu saja, orang-orang itu mesti berdiri di sini dari pagi sampai malam?"
15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to enquire of God.
Jawab Musa, "Orang-orang itu datang kepada saya untuk mengetahui kehendak Allah.
16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”
Kalau mereka berselisih, mereka menghadap saya supaya memutuskan perkara mereka, dan saya sampaikan kepada mereka perintah-perintah dan hukum-hukum Allah."
17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
Kata Yitro, "Tidak baik begitu.
18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.
Dengan cara itu engkau melelahkan dirimu sendiri, dan juga orang-orang itu. Pekerjaan itu terlalu banyak untuk satu orang.
19 Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.
Dengarlah nasihat saya, dan Allah akan menolongmu. Memang baik engkau mewakili bangsa ini di hadapan Allah dan membawa persoalan mereka kepada-Nya.
20 You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Engkau harus mengajarkan kepada mereka perintah-perintah Allah dan menerangkan cara hidup yang baik dan apa yang harus mereka lakukan.
21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Tetapi di samping itu engkau harus memilih beberapa orang laki-laki yang bijaksana, dan menunjuk mereka menjadi pemimpin atas seribu orang, seratus orang, lima puluh orang, dan sepuluh orang. Mereka hendaknya orang-orang yang takut dan taat kepada Allah, dapat dipercaya dan tak mau menerima uang suap.
22 Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.
Suruhlah mereka bertindak sebagai hakim bangsa ini, masing-masing bagi kelompoknya. Tugas itu harus mereka lakukan secara teratur. Perkara-perkara yang penting boleh mereka ajukan kepadamu, tetapi perselisihan yang kecil-kecil dapat mereka bereskan sendiri. Hal itu akan meringankan engkau karena mereka ikut bertanggung jawab.
23 If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
Jika engkau berbuat begitu, dan hal itu diperintahkan Allah kepadamu, engkau akan mampu melakukan tugasmu, dan semua orang akan pulang dengan puas karena persoalan mereka cepat dibereskan."
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
Musa mengikuti nasihat Yitro,
25 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.
dan memilih orang-orang yang bijaksana di antara bangsa Israel. Ia menunjuk mereka menjadi pemimpin atas seribu orang, seratus orang, lima puluh orang, dan sepuluh orang.
26 They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Mereka menjalankan tugasnya sebagai hakim-hakim atas bangsa Israel. Perkara-perkara penting mereka ajukan kepada Musa, sedangkan perselisihan kecil-kecil mereka bereskan sendiri.
27 Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
Kemudian Musa melepas Yitro pergi dan pulanglah Yitro ke negerinya.
