Exodus 18
1 Cumque audisset Iethro, sacerdos Madian, cognatus Moysi, omnia quæ fecerat Deus Moysi, et Israeli populo suo, et quod eduxisset Dominus Israel de Ægypto:
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.
2 tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat:
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 et duos filios eius, quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre: Advena fui in terra aliena.
and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
4 Alter vero Eliezer: Deus enim, ait, patris mei adiutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.
The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 Venit ergo Iethro cognatus Moysi, et filii eius, et uxor eius ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei.
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.
6 Et mandavit Moysi, dicens: Ego Iethro cognatus tuus venio ad te, et uxor tua, et duo filii cum ea.
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 Qui egressus in occursum cognati sui, adoravit, et osculatus est eum: salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis. Cumque intrasset tabernaculum,
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.
8 narravit Moyses cognato suo cuncta quæ fecerat Dominus Pharaoni, et Ægyptiis propter Israel: universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.
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.
9 Lætatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis, quæ fecerat Dominus Israeli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum,
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.
10 et ait: Benedictus Dominus, qui liberavit vos de manu Ægyptiorum, et de manu Pharaonis, qui eruit populum suum de manu Ægypti.
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.
11 Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos: eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 Obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo: veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israel, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.
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.
13 Altera autem die sedit Moyses ut iudicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi a mane usque ad vesperam.
On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 Quod cum vidisset cognatus eius, 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?
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?”
15 Cui respondit Moyses: Venit ad me populus quærens sententiam Dei.
Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to enquire of God.
16 Cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos, et ostendam præcepta Dei, et leges eius.
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.”
17 At ille: Non bonam, inquit, rem facis:
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 stulto labore consumeris et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est: ultra vires tuas est negotium, solus illud non poteris sustinere.
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.
19 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:
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.
20 ostendasque populo ceremonias et ritum colendi, viamque per quam ingredi debeant, et opus quod facere debeant.
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.
21 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
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.
22 qui iudicent populum omni tempore: quidquid autem maius fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent: leviusque sit tibi, partito in alios onere.
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.
23 Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et præcepta eius poteris sustentare: et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.
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.”
24 Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia quæ ille suggesserat.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israel, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.
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.
26 Qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore: quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo iudicantes.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 Dimisitque cognatum suum: qui reversus abiit in terram suam.
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
