< Kobima 18 >

1 Jetro, Nganga-Nzambe ya Madiani mpe bokilo ya Moyize, ayokaki makambo nyonso oyo Nzambe asalelaki Moyize mpe Isalaele, bato na Ye, mpe ndenge nini Yawe abimisaki Isalaele na Ejipito.
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 the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 Jetro amemaki Sefora, mwasi ya Moyize, oyo ye Moyize azongisaki nanu epai ya baboti na ye,
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 elongo na bana mibali mibale oyo Sefora abotelaki Moyize. Mwana ya liboso, kombo na ye ezalaki « Gerishomi, » pamba te Moyize amilobelaki: « Nakomaki mopaya kati na mokili ya mopaya; »
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 mwana ya mibale, kombo na ye ezalaki « Eliezeri, » pamba te amilobelaki: « Nzambe ya tata na ngai asungaki ngai mpe akangolaki ngai wuta na mopanga ya Faraon. »
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 Jetro, bokilo ya Moyize, elongo na bana mibali ya Moyize mpe mwasi ya Moyize bayaki epai ya Moyize, na esobe epai wapi batongaki molako pembeni ya ngomba ya Nzambe.
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 Jetro atindelaki Moyize maloba oyo: — Ngai Jetro, bokilo na yo, nazali koya epai na yo elongo na mwasi na yo mpe bana na yo mibale ya mibali.
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 Moyize abimaki mpo na kokutana na bokilo na ye; agumbamaki liboso na ye mpe apesaki ye beze. Batunanaki basango ya moko na moko mpe bakotaki na ndako ya kapo.
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 Moyize ayebisaki bokilo na ye makambo nyonso oyo Yawe asalaki Faraon mpe bato ya Ejipito mpo na kokangola Isalaele, pasi nyonso oyo bakutanaki na yango na nzela mpe ndenge nini Yawe abikisaki bango.
Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD 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 the LORD delivered them.
9 Jetro asepelaki koyoka makambo wana nyonso ya kitoko oyo Yawe asalelaki bana ya Isalaele tango akangolaki bango wuta na maboko ya bato ya Ejipito.
Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Jetro alobaki: — Tika ete Yawe akumisama, Ye oyo akangolaki yo wuta na maboko ya bato ya Ejipito mpe ya Faraon, Ye oyo akangolaki bato wuta na bowumbu ya bato ya Ejipito.
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 Nandimi sik’oyo ete Yawe azali monene koleka banzambe nyonso, pamba te asali makambo ya lolenge oyo epai ya banyokoli ya Isalaele.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 Bongo Jetro, bokilo ya Moyize, abonzelaki Nzambe mbeka ya kotumba mpe bambeka mosusu. Aron elongo na bakambi nyonso ya Isalaele bayaki mpo na kolia lipa elongo na bokilo ya Moyize, na miso ya Nzambe.
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 Mokolo oyo elandaki, Moyize avandaki mpo na kosambisa bato. Bato batelemaki liboso ya Moyize, kobanda na tongo kino na pokwa.
On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 Tango bokilo na ye amonaki makambo nyonso oyo Moyize azalaki kosala mpo na bato, alobaki: — Mpo na nini ozali kosala bongo tango ozali kotala makambo ya bato? Mpo na nini ozali yo moko lokola mosambisi? Mpo na nini bato oyo nyonso batelemi pembeni na yo, kobanda na tongo kino na pokwa?
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 Moyize azongiselaki ye: — Bayaka epai na ngai mpo na kotuna toli ya Nzambe.
Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 Soki bazali na kowelana, bayaka epai na ngai; mpe ngai nakataka makambo, sima nalakisaka bango mibeko mpe bikateli ya Nzambe.
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 Bokilo ya Moyize alobaki na ye: — Lolenge na yo ya kosala ezali malamu te.
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 Okolemba noki elongo na bato oyo bazali koya epai na yo. Mosala oyo eleki makasi mpo na yo; okolonga kosala yango yo moko te.
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 Yoka sik’oyo toli oyo nalingi kopesa yo, mpe tika ete Nzambe azala na yo. Mosala na yo ezali: kozala molobeli ya bato liboso ya Nzambe, komema mikumba na bango epai ya Nzambe
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 mpe kolakisa bango bikateli elongo na mibeko oyo ekotalisa bango nzela ya kolanda mpe makambo oyo basengeli kosala.
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 Mpe lisusu, kati na bato, pona mibali ya mayele, oyo batosaka Nzambe, oyo bato bakoki kotiela motema mpo ete basalelaka bosembo mpe bazwaka kanyaka te. Okotia bango lokola bakambi ya bato: bakambi ya bankoto, ya bankama, ya batuku mitano mpe ya bazomi.
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 Okopesa bango mosala ya kosambisa bato tango nyonso mpe ndingisa ya kokata bango moko makambo ya mike; kasi babanda komemela yo kaka makambo ya minene. Soki osali bongo, okozala lisusu na mokumba ya makasi te; pamba te okokabola yango elongo na bango.
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 Soki osaleli toli oyo napesi yo mpe soki Nzambe akambi yo, okolonga, mpe bato oyo nyonso bakobanda kozonga na esengo epai na bango.
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 Moyize ayokaki toli oyo bokilo na ye apesaki ye mpe asalelaki makambo nyonso oyo alobaki.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 Moyize aponaki bato ya mayele kati na bana ya Isalaele mpe akomisaki bango bakambi ya bato: bakambi ya bankoto, ya bankama, ya batuku mitano mpe ya bazomi.
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 Bazalaki tango nyonso kati na bato mpo na kosambisa bato mpe kokata makambo; bazalaki kokata bango moko makambo ya mike, kasi bazalaki komema oyo ya minene epai ya Moyize.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 Moyize apesaki nzela ete bokilo na ye akende, mpe Jetro azongaki na mokili na ye.
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

< Kobima 18 >