< 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 news came to Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, of all God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, and how the Lord had taken Israel out of Egypt.
2 Jetro amemaki Sefora, mwasi ya Moyize, oyo ye Moyize azongisaki nanu epai ya baboti na ye,
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took 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, one of whom was named Gershom, for he said, I have been living in a strange 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. »
And the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, The God of my father was my help, and kept me safe from the sword of Pharaoh:
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.
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to where Moses had put up his tent in the waste land, by 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.
And he said to Moses, I, your father-in-law, have come to you, with your wife and your two sons.
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.
And Moses went out to his father-in-law, and went down on his face before him and gave him a kiss; and they said to one another, Are you well? 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.
And Moses gave his father-in-law an account of all the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians because of Israel, and of all the troubles which had come on them by the way, and how the Lord had given them salvation.
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.
And Jethro was glad because the Lord had been good to Israel, freeing them from the power 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.
And Jethro said, Praise be to the Lord, who has taken you out of the hand of Pharaoh and out of the hand of the Egyptians; freeing the people from the yoke 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 am certain that the Lord is greater than all gods, for he has overcome them in their pride.
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.
Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, made a burned offering to God: and Aaron came, with the chiefs of Israel, and had a meal 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.
Now on the day after, Moses took his seat to give decisions for the people: and the people were waiting before Moses from morning till 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?
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing, he said, What is this you are doing for the people? why are you seated here by yourself, with all the people waiting before you from morning till evening?
15 Moyize azongiselaki ye: — Bayaka epai na ngai mpo na kotuna toli ya Nzambe.
And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to get directions from God:
16 Soki bazali na kowelana, bayaka epai na ngai; mpe ngai nakataka makambo, sima nalakisaka bango mibeko mpe bikateli ya Nzambe.
And if they have any question between themselves, they come to me, and I am judge between a man and his neighbour, and I give them the orders and laws of God.
17 Bokilo ya Moyize alobaki na ye: — Lolenge na yo ya kosala ezali malamu te.
And Moses' father-in-law said to him, What you are doing 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.
Your strength and that of the people will be completely used up: this work is more than you are able to do by yourself.
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
Give ear now to my suggestion, and may God be with you: you are to be the people's representative before God, taking their causes to him:
20 mpe kolakisa bango bikateli elongo na mibeko oyo ekotalisa bango nzela ya kolanda mpe makambo oyo basengeli kosala.
Teaching them his rules and his laws, guiding them in the way they have to go, and making clear to them the work they have to 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.
But for the rest, take from among the people able men, such as have the fear of God, true men hating profits wrongly made; and put such men over them, to be captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and 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.
And let them be judges in the causes of the people at all times: and let them put before you all important questions, but in small things let them give decisions themselves: in this way, it will be less hard for you, and they will take the weight off 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 do this, and God gives approval, then you will be able to go on without weariness, and all this people will go to their tents in peace.
24 Moyize ayokaki toli oyo bokilo na ye apesaki ye mpe asalelaki makambo nyonso oyo alobaki.
So Moses took note of the words of his father-in-law, and did as 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.
And he made selection of able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and 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.
And they were judges in the causes of the people at all times: the hard questions they put before Moses; but on every small point they gave decisions themselves.
27 Moyize apesaki nzela ete bokilo na ye akende, mpe Jetro azongaki na mokili na ye.
And Moses let his father-in-law go away, and he went back to his land.

< Kobima 18 >