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

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

So Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses wife, —after she had been sent home;

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, said he, A sojourner, am I in a strange 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, 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 Jethro, Moses father-in-law, came in, with his two sons and his wife, unto Moses, —into the desert where, he, was encamping, 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 said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law, Jethro, am coming in unto 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.

So Moses went forth to meet his father-in-law, and bowed himself down to him and kissed him, and they asked each other of their welfare, —and came 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.

Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law, all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians, for Israel’s sake, —all the hardship which had befallen them by the way, and how Yahweh 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.

Then did Jethro rejoice, for all the good which Yahweh had done to Israel, —whom he had delivered 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 Yahweh, 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, greater, is Yahweh than all the gods, —Even in the thing wherein they were arrogant over 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.

Then took Jethro father-in-law of Moses, an ascending-offering and sacrifices to God, —and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came in 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.

Now it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat, to judge the people, —and the people stood by Moses, from the morning, until 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 when Moses father-in-law saw all that he, was doing for the people, he said—What is this thing which, thou, art doing for the people? Wherefore art, thou, sitting alone, with all the people, stationed by thee, from morning until 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 in unto me to seek 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 in unto me, then do I judge between a man and his neighbour, —and make known the statutes of God and his laws.

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

Then said Moses’ father-in-law unto him, —Not good, is the thing that thou art doing.

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 get quite worn out, both thou and this people that is with thee, —for the thing is too heavy for thee, thou canst not do 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;

Now, hearken thou to my voice—let me counsel thee, and may God be with thee: Be, thou, for the people, in front of God, so shalt, thou, bring the matters 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 shalt cause to shine upon them, the statutes and the laws, —and make known to them the way wherein they should go, and the work they should 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,

Thou thyself, therefore shalt look out, from among all the people—men of ability, reverers of God, men of fidelity, haters of extortion, —and place them 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.

So shall they judge the people at any time, and it shall be, all the great matters, shall they bring in unto thee, but all the small matters, shall, they themselves, judge, —so, lighten thou the burden for thyself, and let them 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, this thing, thou wilt do, and God shall command thee, then shalt thou be able to endure, —yea, moreover, all this people, shall go in, unto their dwellings, contented.

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

So 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 men of ability out of all Israel, and set them to be 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 shall judge the people, at any time, —the hard matters, shall they bring in unto Moses, but all the small matters, shall, they themselves, judge.

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

And Moses sent forth his father-in-law, —and he went his way by himself unto his own land.