U-Eksodusi 18
1 Kwathi uJetro umpristi weMidiyani, uyisezala kaMozisi, esezwile konke uNkulunkulu ayemenzele khona uMozisi loIsrayeli isizwe sakhe, ukuthi iNkosi yayimkhuphile uIsrayeli eGibhithe,
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people. He heard that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 uJetro uyisezala kaMozisi wathatha uZipora umkaMozisi emva kokumbuyisela kwakhe,
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home,
3 kanye lamadodana akhe amabili; obizo lenye lalinguGereshoma, ngoba wathi: Ngangingowemzini elizweni lemzini;
and her two sons; the name of the one son was Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
4 lebizo lenye linguEliyezeri, ngoba uNkulunkulu kababa wayelusizo lwami, wangikhulula enkembeni kaFaro.
The name of the other was Eliezer, for Moses had said, “My ancestor's God was my help. He rescued me from Pharaoh's sword.”
5 UJetro uyisezala kaMozisi wasesiza lamadodana akhe lomkakhe kuMozisi enkangala, entabeni kaNkulunkulu lapho ayemise khona inkamba.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.
6 Wasesithi kuMozisi: Mina, uyihlozala, uJetro, ngiza kuwe lomkakho lamadodana akhe amabili elaye.
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 UMozisi wasephuma ukumhlangabeza uyisezala, wakhothama, wamanga. Basebebuzana impilakahle; bangena ethenteni.
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked about each other's welfare and then went into the tent.
8 UMozisi wasemlandisela uyisezala ngakho konke iNkosi eyayikwenzile kuFaro lakumaGibhithe ngenxa kaIsrayeli, yonke inhlupheko eyabehlela endleleni, lokuthi iNkosi yayibakhulule.
Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, about all the hardships that had come to them along the way, and how Yahweh had rescued them.
9 UJetro wasethokoza ngakho konke okuhle iNkosi eyayikwenzele uIsrayeli, ukuthi yayimkhulule esandleni samaGibhithe.
Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, in that he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 UJetro wasesithi: Ibusisiwe iNkosi elikhulule esandleni samaGibhithe lesandleni sikaFaro; eyakhulula lesisizwe ngaphansi kwesandla samaGibhithe.
Jethro said, “May Yahweh be praised, for he has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi iNkosi inkulu kulabo bonke onkulunkulu, ngoba endabeni abazigabisa ngayo yayiphezu kwabo.
Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, because when the Egyptians treated the Israelites arrogantly, God rescued his people.”
12 UJetro uyisezala kaMozisi wasethathela uNkulunkulu umnikelo wokutshiswa lemihlatshelo; kwasekusiza uAroni labo bonke abadala bakoIsrayeli ukudla isinkwa loyisezala kaMozisi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal before God with Moses' father-in-law.
13 Kwasekusithi kusisa uMozisi wahlala ukwahlulela abantu; njalo abantu bema phambi kukaMozisi kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwahlwa.
On the next day Moses sat down to judge the people. The people stood around him from morning until evening.
14 Kwathi lapho uyisezala kaMozisi esekubonile konke akwenzela abantu wathi: Iyini linto oyenza ebantwini? Uhlalelani wedwa, labantu bonke bemi kuwe kusukela ekuseni kuze kuhlwe?
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing with the people? Why is it that you sit alone and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”
15 UMozisi wasesithi kuyisezala: Ngoba abantu beza kimi ukubuza kuNkulunkulu.
Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me to ask for God's direction.
16 Nxa belendaba, beza kimi, njalo ngahlulele phakathi komuntu lomakhelwane wakhe, ngibazise izimiso zikaNkulunkulu lemithetho yakhe.
When they have a dispute, they come to me. I decide between one person and another, and I teach them God's statutes and laws.”
17 Uyisezala kaMozisi wasesithi kuye: Into oyenzayo kayinhle.
Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not very good.
18 Isibili uzazidlakaza, wena-ke lalababantu abalawe; ngoba linto inzima kakhulu kuwe, kawulakukwenza wedwa.
You will surely wear yourselves out, you and the people who are with you. This burden is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.
19 Khathesi lalela ilizwi lami; ngizakweluleka, njalo uNkulunkulu abe lawe. Wena kawube ngowabantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu, wena ulethe izindaba kuNkulunkulu,
Listen to me. I will give you advice, and God will be with you, because you are the people's representative to God, and you bring their disputes to him.
20 ubafundise izimiso lemithetho, ubazise indlela abamele bahambe ngayo, lomsebenzi abamele bawenze.
You must teach them his statutes and laws. You must show them the way to walk and the work to do.
21 Futhi wena ubone phakathi kwabo bonke abantu amadoda alamandla, amesabayo uNkulunkulu, amadoda eqiniso, azonda inzuzo engalunganga, uwabeke phezu kwabo, induna zezinkulungwane, induna zamakhulu, induna zamatshumi amahlanu, lenduna zamatshumi;
Furthermore, you must choose capable men from all the people, men who honor God, men of truth who hate unjust gain. You must put them over people, to be leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and of tens.
22 ukuthi zahlulele abantu ngaso sonke isikhathi; kodwa kuzakuthi lonke udaba olukhulu zizaluletha kuwe, kodwa lonke udaba oluncinyane zizalwahlulela zona, ukuze kube lula kuwe, njalo zizathwalisana lawe.
They will judge the people in all routine cases, but the difficult cases they will bring to you. As for all the small cases, they can judge those themselves. In that way it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you.
23 Uba usenza linto, loNkulunkulu ekulawula, uzakuba lamandla okuma, njalo labo bonke lababantu bazabuyela endaweni yabo ngokuthula.
If you do this, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure, and the entire people will be able to go home satisfied.”
24 UMozisi waselilalela ilizwi likayisezala, wenza konke ayekutshilo.
So Moses listened to his father-in-law's words and did everything that he had said.
25 UMozisi wasekhetha amadoda alamandla kuye wonke uIsrayeli, wawabeka inhloko phezu kwabantu, induna zezinkulungwane, induna zamakhulu, induna zamatshumi amahlanu lenduna zamatshumi.
Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
26 Zasezibahlulela abantu ngaso sonke isikhathi; zaletha kuMozisi indaba ezinzima, kodwa lonke udaba oluncinyane zalwahlulela zona.
They judged the people in normal circumstances. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but they themselves judged all the small cases.
27 UMozisi wasemyekela wahamba uyisezala; waya elizweni lakibo.
Then Moses let his father-in-law leave, and Jethro went back into his own land.
