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 Jithro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, that the Lord had brought forth Israel out of Egypt.

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

Then took Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, Zipporah, the wife of Moses, 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 stranger 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 was Eliezer; for the God of my father was my help, and 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 Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses, unto the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mount 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 unto Moses, I thy father-in-law Jithro am coming unto thee, with 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 bowed himself, and kissed him; and they asked each other after their welfare; and they 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 which the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, all the hardship which had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord 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 Jithro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, that he had delivered it 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 Jithro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath 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 the Eternal is great above all gods; for by the very thing wherein they sinned presumptuously was punishment brought upon 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 Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, offered a burnt-offering and sacrifices unto God; and Aaron came, with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before 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 around Moses from the morning unto 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 the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he did to the people; and he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people standeth around thee from morning until evening?

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

And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people cometh unto me to inquire 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 of dispute, they come unto me; and I judge between one and the other, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

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

And the father-in-law of Moses said unto him, The thing that thou doest 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 surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou wilt not be able to perform it by thyself 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;

Now hearken unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and may God be with thee, Be thou for the people a mediator with God, that thou mayest bring the causes unto 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 thou shalt explain to them the statutes and the laws; and thou shalt make them know the way wherein 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,

Moreover, thou shalt select out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating [their own] gain; and place these over them, as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 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.

And let them judge the people at all times; and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thee, when they shall bear 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 wilt do this thing, and God commandeth it thee, then wilt thou be able to endure; and also the whole of this people will come to its 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 placed them as heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 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; any difficult cause they brought unto Moses, but every small cause they judged themselves.

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

And Moses dismissed his father-in-law; and he went his way unto his own land.