Exodus 18
1 cumque audisset Iethro sacerdos Madian cognatus Mosi omnia quae fecerat Deus Mosi et Israhel populo suo eo quod eduxisset Dominus Israhel de Aegypto
Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 tulit Sefforam uxorem Mosi quam remiserat
After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,
3 et duos filios eius quorum unus vocabatur Gersan dicente patre advena fui in terra aliena
along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
4 alter vero Eliezer Deus enim ait patris mei adiutor meus et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis
The other son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5 venit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi et filii eius et uxor ad Mosen in desertum ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
6 et mandavit Mosi dicens ego cognatus tuus Iethro venio ad te et uxor tua et duo filii tui cum ea
He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 qui egressus in occursum cognati sui adoravit et osculatus est eum salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis cumque intrasset tabernaculum
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.
8 narravit Moses cognato suo cuncta quae fecerat Deus Pharaoni et Aegyptiis propter Israhel universum laborem qui accidisset eis in itinere quo liberarat eos Dominus
Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
9 laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis quae fecerat Dominus Israheli eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum
And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 et ait benedictus Dominus qui liberavit vos de manu Aegyptiorum et de manu Pharaonis qui eruit populum suum de manu Aegypti
Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from 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 other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”
12 obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi holocausta et hostias Deo veneruntque Aaron et omnes senes Israhel ut comederent panem cum eo coram Domino
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 altero autem die sedit Moses ut iudicaret populum qui adsistebat Mosi de mane usque ad vesperam
The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
14 quod cum vidisset cognatus eius omnia scilicet quae agebat in populo ait quid est hoc quod facis in plebe cur solus sedes et omnis populus praestolatur de mane usque ad vesperam
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
15 cui respondit Moses venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei
“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.
16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius
“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”
17 at ille non bonam inquit rem facis
But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing 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
Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
19 sed audi verba mea atque consilia et erit Deus tecum esto tu populo in his quae ad Deum pertinent ut referas quae dicuntur ad eum
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
20 ostendasque populo caerimonias et ritum colendi viamque per quam ingredi debeant et opus quod facere
Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work 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
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22 qui iudicent populum omni tempore quicquid autem maius fuerit referant ad te et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent leviusque tibi sit partito in alios onere
Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.
23 si hoc feceris implebis imperium Dei et praecepta eius poteris sustentare et omnis hic populus revertetur cum pace ad loca sua
If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
24 quibus auditis Moses fecit omnia quae ille suggesserat
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
25 et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israhel constituit eos principes populi tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos
So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26 qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore quicquid autem gravius erat referebant ad eum faciliora tantummodo iudicantes
And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
27 dimisitque cognatum qui reversus abiit in terram suam
Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.
