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

And Jithro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, that the Lord had brought forth Israel out of Egypt.

2 tulit Sefforam uxorem Mosi quam remiserat

Then took Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after he had sent her back,

3 et duos filios eius quorum unus vocabatur Gersan 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 stranger in a foreign land:

4 alter vero Eliezer Deus enim ait patris mei adiutor meus et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis

And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father was my help, 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

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

6 et mandavit Mosi dicens ego cognatus tuus Iethro venio ad te et uxor tua et duo filii tui cum ea

And he sent word unto Moses, I thy father-in-law Jithro am coming unto thee, with 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 bowed himself, and kissed him; and they asked each other after their welfare; and they 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

And Moses told his father-in-law all which the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, all the hardship which had come upon them by 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 Jithro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, that he had delivered it out of 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

And Jithro said, Blessed be the Lord, 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 the Eternal is great above all gods; for by the very thing wherein they sinned presumptuously was punishment brought upon them.

12 obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi holocausta et hostias Deo veneruntque Aaron et omnes senes Israhel ut comederent panem cum eo coram Domino

And Jithro, the father-in-law of Moses, offered a burnt-offering and sacrifices unto God; and Aaron came, with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.

13 altero autem die sedit Moses ut iudicaret populum qui adsistebat Mosi de mane usque ad vesperam

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood around Moses from the morning unto the 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

And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he did to the people; and he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people standeth around thee from morning until evening?

15 cui respondit Moses venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei

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

16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius

When they have a matter of dispute, they come unto me; and I judge between one and the other, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 at ille non bonam inquit rem facis

And the father-in-law of Moses 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 wilt not be able to perform it by thyself 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 hearken unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and may God be with thee, Be thou for the people a mediator with God, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.

20 ostendasque populo caerimonias et ritum colendi viamque per quam ingredi debeant et opus quod facere

And thou shalt explain to them the statutes and the laws; and thou shalt make them know 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 select out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating [their own] gain; and place these over them, as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 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

And let them judge the people at all times; 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 thee, when they shall bear with thee.

23 si hoc feceris implebis imperium Dei et praecepta eius poteris sustentare et omnis hic populus revertetur cum pace ad loca sua

If thou wilt do this thing, and God commandeth it thee, then wilt thou be able to endure; and also the whole of this people will come to its place in peace.

24 quibus auditis Moses fecit omnia quae ille suggesserat

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

25 et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israhel constituit eos principes populi tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos

And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and placed them as heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 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; any difficult cause they brought unto Moses, but every small cause they judged themselves.

27 dimisitque cognatum qui reversus abiit in terram suam

And Moses dismissed his father-in-law; and he went his way unto his own land.