Exodus 18

1 And whanne Jetro, the prest of Madian, `the alye of Moises, hadde herd alle thingis which God hadde do to Moises, and to Israel his puple, for the Lord hadde led Israel out of the lond of Egipt,

And Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people; that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 he took Sefora, `the wijf of Moises, whom he hadde sent ayen,

And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

3 and hise twei sones, of which oon was clepid Gersan, for the fadir seide, Y was a comelyng in alien lond,

and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom — for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,

4 forsothe the tother was clepid Eliezer, for Moises seide, God of my fadir is myn helpere, and he delyuerede me fro the swerd of Farao.

— and the name of the other, Eliezer — For the God of my father has been my help, and has delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.

5 Therfor Jetro, `alie of Moises, cam, and the sones of Moises and his wijf camen to Moises, in to deseert, where Jetro settide tentis bisidis the hil of God;

And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God.

6 and sente to Moises, and seide, Y Jetro, thin alie, come to thee, and thi wijf, and thi twei sones with hir.

And he sent word to Moses: I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7 And Moises yede out into the comyng of his alie, and worschipide, and kiste hym, and thei gretten hem silf to gidere with pesible wordis.

And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other [after] their welfare, and went into the tent.

8 And whanne he hadde entrid in to the tabernacle, Moises tolde to `his alie alle thingis whiche God hadde do to Farao, and to Egipcians, for Israel, and he tolde al the trauel which bifelle to hem in the weie, of which the Lord delyuerede hem.

And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake; all the trouble that had befallen them on the way, and [how] Jehovah had delivered them.

9 And Jetro was glad on alle the goodis whiche the Lord hadde do to Israel, for he delyuerede Israel fro the hond of Egipcians.

And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness that Jehovah had done to Israel; that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 And Jetro seide, Blessid be `the Lord, that delyuerede you fro the hond of Egipcians, and fro `the hond of Farao, which Lord delyuered his puple fro the hond of Egipt;

And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, 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.

11 now Y knowe that the Lord is greet aboue alle goddis, for `thei diden proudli ayens hem.

Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for in the thing in which they acted haughtily [he was] above them.

12 Therfor Jetro, `alie of Moises, offride brent sacrifices and offryngis to God; and Aaron, and alle the eldere men of Israel, camen to ete breed with hym bifore God.

And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

13 Forsothe in the tother dai Moises sat that he schulde deme the puple, that stood niy Moises, fro the morewtid til to euentid.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening.

14 And whanne `his alie hadde seyn this, that is, alle thingis `whiche he dide in the puple, he seide, What is this that thou doist in the puple? whi sittist thou aloone, and al the puple abidith fro the morewtid til to euentid?

And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did with the people, and said, What is this thing which thou art doing with the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people are standing by thee from morning to evening?

15 To whom Moises answeride, The puple cometh to me, and axith the sentence of God;

And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to enquire of God.

16 and whanne ony strijf bifallith to hem, thei comen to me, that Y deme bitwixe hem, and schewe `the comaundementis of God, and hise lawis.

When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known [to them] the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 And Jetro seide, Thou doist a thing not good,

And Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou art doing is not good.

18 thou art wastid with a fonned trauel, bothe thou and this puple which is with thee; the werk is a boue thi strengthis, thou aloone maist not suffre it.

Thou wilt be quite exhausted, both thou and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee: thou canst not perform it alone.

19 But here thou my wordis and counseils, and the Lord schal be with thee; be thou to the puple in these thingis that perteynen to God, that thou telle the thingis that ben seid to the puple;

Hearken now to my voice: I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring the matters before God;

20 and schewe to the puple the cerymonyes, and custom of worschipyng, and the weie bi which `thei owen to go, and the werk which `thei owen to do.

and teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Forsothe puruey thou of al the puple myyti men, and dredynge God, in whiche is treuthe, and whiche haten auarice; and ordeyne thou of hem tribunes, and centuriouns, and quinquagenaries, and deenys,

But do thou provide among all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [them] over them, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens,

22 whiche schulen deme the puple in al tyme; sotheli what ever thing is grettere, telle thei to thee, and deme thei ooneli lesse thingis, and be it esiere to thee, whanne the burthun is departid in to othere men.

that they may judge the people at all times; and it shall be [that] they shall bring to thee every great matter, and that they shall judge every small matter, and they shall lighten [the task] on thee, and they shall bear [it] with thee.

23 If thou schalt do this, thou schalt fille the comaundement of God, and thou schalt mowe bere hise comaundementis; and al this puple schal turne ayen with pees to her places.

If thou do this thing, and God command thee [so], thou wilt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

24 And whanne these thingis weren herd, Moises dide alle thingis whiche Jetro counselide.

And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

25 And whanne noble men of al Israel weren chosun Moises ordeynede hem princis of the puple, tribunes, and centuriouns, and quinquagenaries, and denes,

And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.

26 whiche demeden the puple in al tyme; forsothe, whateuer thing was hardere, thei telden to Moises, and thei demeden esiere thingis oneli.

And they judged the people at all times: the hard matters they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged.

27 And Moises lefte `his alie, which turnede ayen, and yede in to his lond.

And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he departed into his land.