Ekoruhe 18

1 A ka rongo a Ietoro, te tohunga o Miriana, te hungawai o Mohi, ki nga mea katoa i meatia e te Atua ki a Mohi, ki a Iharaira hoki, ki tana iwi; ki a Ihowa ano hoki kua whakaputa mai i a Iharaira i Ihipa;

Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people the Israelites, and how the Lord had led them out of Egypt.

2 Katahi a Ietoro, hungawai o Mohi, ka tango i a Hipora, wahine a Mohi, i muri nei i tana tononga i a ia kia hoki,

When Moses had sent home his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had welcomed her,

3 Me ana tamariki tokorua, ko te ingoa o tetahi ko Kerehoma, i mea hoki ia, He manene ahau i te whenua ke:

together with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

4 Ko te ingoa hoki o tetahi ko Erietera; moku hoki a wahinetia mai e te Atua o toku papa, nana hoki ahau i whakaora i te hoari a Parao;

The other son was named Eliezer, because Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper, and saved me from death at Pharaoh's hand.”

5 Na ka haere mai a Ietoro, te hungawai o Mohi, ratou ko ana tamariki, ko tana wahine, ki a Mohi, ki te koraha i noho ai ia, ki te maunga o te Atua:

Moses' father-in-law Jethro, together with Moses' wife and sons, came to see him in the desert at the camp near the mountain of God.

6 A ka mea ki a Mohi, Ko ahau, ko Ietoro, ko tou hungawai, kua tae mai ki a koe, me tau wahine, ratou ko ana tama tokorua.

Moses was told beforehand, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to see you together with your wife and her two sons.”

7 Na ka haere a Mohi ki te whakatau i tona hungawai, a ka tuohu, ka kihi hoki i a ia; a ka ui raua ki a raua ki te pai i tetahi, i tetahi; a haere ana raua ki te teneti.

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other how they were and then went into the tent.

8 Na ka korerotia e Mohi ki tona hungawai nga mea katoa i meatia e Ihowa ki a Parao ratou ko nga Ihipiana, mo Iharaira, me nga mate katoa hoki i pono ki a ratou i te ara, me ratou hoki kua whakaorangia nei e Ihowa.

Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians on behalf of the Israelites, about all the troubles they had experienced on the way, and about how the Lord had saved them.

9 Na ka hari a Ietoro mo nga mea pai katoa i meatia e Ihowa ki a Iharaira, mo ratou hoki i whakaorangia e ia i te ringa o nga Ihipiana.

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he'd saved them from the Egyptians.

10 A ka mea a Ietoro, Kia whakapaingia a Ihowa nana nei koutou i whakaora i te ringa o nga Ihipiana, i te ringa hoki o Parao; nana hoki te iwi nei i whakaora i raro i te ringa o nga Ihipiana.

Jethro announced, “May the Lord be blessed, who saved you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh.

11 Katahi ahau ka mohio he nui ake a Ihowa i nga atua katoa; ae ra, i te mea hoki ka whakapehapeha ratou, hira ake ana ano ia i a ratou.

This is so convincing to me that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he saved the people from the Egyptians when they acted so arrogantly towards the Israelites.”

12 Na ka tangohia e Ietoro, e te hungawai o Mohi tetahi tahunga tinana me etahi patunga tapu ma te Atua: a haere mai ana a Arona, me nga kaumatua katoa o Iharaira, ki te hungawai o Mohi, ki te kai taro ki te aroaro o te Atua.

Then Jethro presented a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with him in God's presence.

13 A i te aonga ake o te ra ka noho a Mohi ki te whakawa i te iwi: a ka tu te iwi i te taha o Mohi no te ata a ahiahi noa.

The following day Moses sat as a judge for the people, and they presented their cases to him from morning to evening.

14 A, no te kitenga o te hungawai o Mohi i nga mea katoa i mea ai ia ki te iwi, ka mea ia, He aha tenei mea e mea nei koe ki te iwi? he aha koe i noho ai ko koe anake, i tu ai hoki te iwi katoa i tou taha no te ata a tae noa ki te ahiahi?

When his father-in-law saw everything that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What's all this you're doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone as judge, with everyone presenting their cases to you from morning to evening?”

15 A ka mea a Mohi ki tona hungawai, E haere mai ana hoki te iwi ki ahau, ki te rapu tikanga i te Atua:

“Because the people come to me to ask God for his decision,” Moses replied.

16 Ka ai he mea ki a ratou, na ka haere mai ki ahau; a maku e whakarite te whakawa a tetahi ki tetahi; e whakaatu hoki nga tikanga a te Atua me ana ture.

“When they argue over something, the case is brought before me to decide between one them, and I explain to them the God's laws and regulations.”

17 Na ka mea te hungawai o Mohi ki a ia, Ehara tenei i te pai e mea nei koe.

Jethro told him, “What you're doing is not the best.

18 Ka honia noatia iho koe, koutou tahi ko tenei iwi i a koe nei; he pehi rawa hoki tenei mea i a koe: e kore e taea e koe anake.

You, and these people who come to you, are all going to wear yourselves out, because the workload is far too heavy. You can't handle it alone.

19 Na, whakarongo mai ki toku reo, maku koe e tohutohu: hei a koe te Atua, hei te aroaro o te Atua koe mo te iwi, a mau e kawe nga korero ki te Atua:

So please listen to me. I'm going to give you some advice, and God will be with you. Yes, you must continue to be the people's representative before God, and take their cases to him.

20 Mau ano ratou e whakaako ki nga tikanga, ki nga ture, e whakaatu hoki ki a ratou te huarahi e haere ai ratou, me nga mahi e mahi ai ratou.

Go on teaching them the laws and regulations. Show them how to live and the work they are to do.

21 Mau ano hoki e titiro i roto i te iwi katoa etahi tangata maia, e wehi ana i te Atua; hei te hunga pono, e kino ana ki te apo; ka waiho ai hei rangatira mo ratou, hei rangatira mo nga mano, hei rangatira mo nga rau, hei rangatira mo nga rima tek au, hei rangatira mo nga tekau:

But now you should choose men who are competent from among the people, men who respect God and who are trustworthy and not corrupt. Put them in charge of the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

22 A ma ratou te iwi e whakawa i nga wa katoa: a ko nga mea nunui katoa, me kawe mai ki a koe; ko nga mea nohinohi katoa ia, ma ratou e whakarite: penei ka mama koe, a ma koutou tahi te pikaunga.

These men are to judge the people on a continuing basis. Major issues they can bring to you, but they can decide all the small matters themselves. In this way your burden will be made lighter as they share it with you.

23 Ki te mea koe i tenei mea, a ka ki mai te Atua ki a koe, katahi koe ka matatu ake, a ka haere marie tenei iwi katoa ki o ratou kainga.

If you follow my advice, and if it's what God tells you to do, then you will be able to survive, and all these people can go home satisfied that their cases have been heard.”

24 A rongo tonu a Mohi ki te kupu a tona hungawai, a meatia katoatia iho e ia nga mea i korero ai ia.

Moses listened to what his father-in-law said and followed all his advice.

25 A whiriwhiria ana e Mohi etahi tangata maia i roto i a Iharaira katoa, a waiho iho ratou e ia hei upoko mo te iwi, hei rangatira mo nga mano, hei rangatira mo nga rau, hei rangatira mo nga rima tekau, hei rangatira hoki mo nga tekau.

So Moses chose competent men from all of Israel and put them in charge of the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

26 A na ratou te iwi i whakawa i nga wa katoa: ko te mea pakeke i kawea e ratou ki a Mohi; ko nga mea nohinohi katoa ia na ratou ano i whakarite.

They acted as judges for the people on a continuing basis. They brought the difficult cases to Moses, but they would judge the small matters themselves.

27 Na ka tukua atu e Mohi tona hungawai; a haere ana ia ki tona whenua.

Then Moses sent Jethro on his way, and he went back to his own country.