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 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 tulit Sefforam uxorem Mosi 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 Gersan 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 Mosi et filii eius et uxor ad Mosen 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 Mosi dicens ego cognatus tuus Iethro venio ad te et uxor tua et duo filii tui 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 Moses cognato suo cuncta quae fecerat Deus Pharaoni et Aegyptiis propter Israhel universum laborem qui accidisset eis in itinere quo liberarat eos Dominus
Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh 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 Yahweh delivered them.
9 laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis quae fecerat Dominus Israheli eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum
Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh 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 Aegyptiorum et de manu Pharaonis qui eruit populum suum de manu Aegypti
Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, 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 Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi holocausta et hostias Deo veneruntque Aaron et omnes senes Israhel ut comederent panem cum eo coram Domino
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 altero autem die sedit Moses ut iudicaret populum qui adsistebat Mosi de 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 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 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 Moses venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei
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 iudicem inter eos et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius
When they have a matter, they come to 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
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 quae ad Deum pertinent ut referas quae 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 caerimonias et ritum colendi viamque per quam ingredi debeant et opus quod facere
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 quicquid autem maius fuerit referant ad te et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent leviusque tibi sit 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 praecepta eius poteris sustentare et omnis hic populus revertetur cum pace ad loca sua
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 Moses fecit omnia quae 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 Israhel 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 quicquid 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 qui reversus abiit in terram suam
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
