U-Eksodusi 18
1 UJethro, umphristi waseMidiyani owayenguyisezala kaMosi, wezwa konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzele uMosi labantu bakhe bako-Israyeli, lokuthi uThixo wayebakhuphe njani eGibhithe abako-Israyeli.
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 Ngemva kokuba uMosi esethumele umkakhe uZiphora kibo, uyisezala uJethro wamemukela,
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 lamadodana akhe amabili. Eyinye indodana kwakuthiwa nguGeshomu, ngoba uMosi wathi, “Sengibe ngumuntu wezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lami.”
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 Eyinye kwakuthiwa ngu-Eliyezari ngoba wathi, “UNkulunkulu kababa wayengumsizi wami: wangisindisa enkembeni kaFaro.”
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 UJethro, uyisezala kaMosi kanye lamadodana lenkosikazi kaMosi beza kuye enkangala lapho ayehlala khona eduzane lentaba kaNkulunkulu.
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 UJethro wayethumele ilizwi kuye wathi, “Mina uyihlozala uJethro ngiyeza kuwe lenkosikazi yakho lamadodana ayo amabili.”
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 Ngakho uMosi waphuma wayahlangabeza uyisezala wasemkhothamela, wamanga. Babingelelana basebengena ethenteni.
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 UMosi watshela uyisezala ngakho konke uThixo ayekwenze kuFaro labantu baseGibhithe ngenxa yabantu bako-Israyeli langezinhlupho zonke ezabehlela endleleni lokuthi uThixo wayebasindise njani.
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 UJethro wathokoza ukuzwa ngezinto zonke ezinhle uThixo ayezenzele u-Israyeli ekubasindiseni esandleni samaGibhithe.
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 Wathi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo owalisindisa esandleni samaGibhithe loFaro, njalo owasindisa abantu esandleni samaGibhithe.
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 Khathesi sengikwazi ukuthi uThixo ulamandla ukwedlula abanye onkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi wenza lokhu kubo bonke abaphatha u-Israyeli ngobuqholo.”
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 Lapho-ke uJethro, uyisezala kaMosi, waletha umnikelo wokutshiswa leminye imihlatshelo kuNkulunkulu, njalo u-Aroni weza labadala bako-Israyeli ukuze bazokudla isinkwa loyisezala kaMosi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
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 Ngelanga elilandelayo uMosi wathatha isihlalo sakhe sokuba ngumthonisi wabantu, njalo bema bemgombolozele kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba ntambama.
On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 Kwathi uyisezala esebone konke uMosi ayekwenzela abantu wathi, “Kuyini lokhu okwenzela abantu? Kungani uhlala unguwe wedwa ukuba ngumahluli, abantu bonke bemi bekuhanqile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube kusihlwa?”
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 UMosi wamphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yokuthi abantu beza kimi ukuzodinga intando kaNkulunkulu.
Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to enquire of God.
16 Lapho kusiba lengxabano, ilethwa kimi, njalo ngiyahlulela emaceleni womabili besengibatshela ngemithetho lemilayo kaNkulunkulu.”
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”
17 Uyisezala kaMosi waphendula wathi, “Konke okwenzayo kakulunganga.
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 Wena labantu laba abeza kuwe lizazidinisa. Umsebenzi lo unzima kuwe: ungeke wawenza wedwa.
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 Ngilalela ngikucebise, njalo uNkulunkulu makabe lawe. Kumele ube ngummeli wabantu kuNkulunkulu, ulethe ingxabano zabo kuye.
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 Bafundise izimiso lemithetho yakhe, ubatshengise indlela yokuphila lokuthi baziphathe njani.
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 Kodwa khetha amadoda alamandla phakathi kwabantu bonke, amadoda amesabayo uNkulunkulu, azonda inzuzo eza ngobuqili, ubusubabeka babe zinduna zezinkulungwane, zamakhulu, zamatshumi amahlanu, lezamatshumi.
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 Benze babe ngabahluleli babantu ngezikhathi zonke, kodwa kabalethe wonke amacala anzima kuwe bona baqume amacala alula. Lokho kuzakwenza ukuthi umthwalo wakho ube lula ngoba bazabe besabelana lawe.
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 Nxa ungakwenza lokhu njengokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, uzakwenelisa ukuphumuza ingqondo njalo abantu bonke laba bazabuyela emakhaya besuthisekile.”
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 UMosi wamlalela uyisezala wenza konke ayekutshilo.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 Wakhetha amadoda alamandla phakathi kwabako-Israyeli wonke wawenza abakhokheli babantu, izinduna zezinkulungwane, ezamakhulu, ezamatshumi amahlanu lezamatshumi.
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 Baba ngabahluleli babantu ngazozonke izikhathi. Amacala anzima bawaletha kuMosi, kodwa alula bawathonisa bona ngokwabo.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 UMosi wavalelisana loyisezala, uJethro wasebuyela elizweni lakhe.
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
