Exodus 18

1 Cumque audisset Jethro, sacerdos Madian, cognatus Moysi, omnia quæ fecerat Deus Moysi, et Israëli populo suo, et quod eduxisset Dominus Israël 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 that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat,

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

3 et duos filios ejus: quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre: Advena fui in terra aliena;

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 alter vero Eliezer: Deus enim, ait, patris mei adjutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.

and the name of the other was Eliezer; for [he said], The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.

5 Venit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi, et filii ejus, et uxor ejus ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus juxta montem Dei.

And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God:

6 Et mandavit Moysi, dicens: Ego Jethro cognatus tuus venio ad te, et uxor tua, et duo filii cum ea.

and he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy 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,

And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him: and 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 Israël: universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.

And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how Jehovah delivered them.

9 Lætatusque est Jethro super omnibus bonis, quæ fecerat Dominus Israëli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum.

And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Jehovah 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.

And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, 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 Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos: eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.

Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; yea, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly against them.

12 Obtulit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo: veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israël, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.

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 before God.

13 Altera autem die sedit Moyses ut judicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi a mane usque ad vesperam.

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

14 Quod cum vidisset cognatus ejus, 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?

And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even?

15 Cui respondit Moyses: Venit ad me populus quærens sententiam Dei:

And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:

16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me ut judicem inter eos, et ostendam præcepta Dei, et leges ejus.

when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 At ille: Non bonam, inquit, rem facis.

And Moses’ father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest 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.

Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself 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:

Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God:

20 ostendasque populo cæremonias et ritum colendi, viamque per quam ingredi debeant, et opus quod facere debeant.

and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein 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 thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as 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 judicent populum omni tempore: quidquid autem majus fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo judicent: leviusque sit tibi, partito in alios onere.

and let them judge the people at all seasons: 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 thyself, and they shall bear [the burden] with thee.

23 Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et præcepta ejus poteris sustentare: et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.

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

24 Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia quæ ille suggesserat.

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

25 Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israël, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.

And 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 judicabant plebem omni tempore: quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo judicantes.

And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 Dimisitque cognatum suum: qui reversus abiit in terram suam.

And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.