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,

When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2 tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat,

Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

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

And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange 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 the God of my father, said he, 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 to Moses into the wilderness, where he 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 to Moses, I your father in law Jethro am come to you, and 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,

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 the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come on them by the way, and how the LORD 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 the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered 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 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: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above 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 by Moses from the morning to 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 you do to the people? why sit you yourself alone, and all the people stand by you from morning to even?

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

And Moses said to his father in law, Because the people come to 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 to me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

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

And 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 this 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 shall be with you: Be you for the people to God-ward, that you may bring the causes to God:

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

And you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall 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 you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and 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 to you, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for yourself, and they shall bear the burden with you.

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

If you shall do this thing, and God command you so, then you shall be able to endure, and all this people shall also 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 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 to 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.