U-Eksodusi 18
1 Kwathi uJetro umpristi weMidiyani, uyisezala kaMozisi, esezwile konke uNkulunkulu ayemenzele khona uMozisi loIsrayeli isizwe sakhe, ukuthi iNkosi yayimkhuphile uIsrayeli eGibhithe,
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 uJetro uyisezala kaMozisi wathatha uZipora umkaMozisi emva kokumbuyisela kwakhe,
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 kanye lamadodana akhe amabili; obizo lenye lalinguGereshoma, ngoba wathi: Ngangingowemzini elizweni lemzini;
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 lebizo lenye linguEliyezeri, ngoba uNkulunkulu kababa wayelusizo lwami, wangikhulula 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 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 into the wilderness where he was encamped, 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, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 UMozisi wasephuma ukumhlangabeza uyisezala, wakhothama, wamanga. Basebebuzana impilakahle; bangena 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 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 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 UJetro wasethokoza ngakho konke okuhle iNkosi eyayikwenzele uIsrayeli, ukuthi yayimkhulule 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 UJetro wasesithi: Ibusisiwe iNkosi elikhulule esandleni samaGibhithe lesandleni sikaFaro; eyakhulula lesisizwe ngaphansi kwesandla 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 sengisazi ukuthi iNkosi inkulu kulabo bonke onkulunkulu, ngoba endabeni abazigabisa ngayo yayiphezu kwabo.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
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, 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 Kwasekusithi kusisa uMozisi wahlala ukwahlulela abantu; njalo abantu bema phambi kukaMozisi kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwahlwa.
On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the 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 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 UMozisi wasesithi kuyisezala: Ngoba abantu beza kimi ukubuza kuNkulunkulu.
Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 Nxa belendaba, beza kimi, njalo ngahlulele phakathi komuntu lomakhelwane wakhe, ngibazise izimiso zikaNkulunkulu lemithetho yakhe.
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 Uyisezala kaMozisi wasesithi kuye: Into oyenzayo kayinhle.
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 Isibili uzazidlakaza, wena-ke lalababantu abalawe; ngoba linto inzima kakhulu kuwe, kawulakukwenza 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 Khathesi lalela ilizwi lami; ngizakweluleka, njalo uNkulunkulu abe lawe. Wena kawube ngowabantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu, wena ulethe izindaba kuNkulunkulu,
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 ubafundise izimiso lemithetho, ubazise indlela abamele bahambe ngayo, lomsebenzi abamele bawenze.
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 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;
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 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.
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 Uba usenza linto, loNkulunkulu ekulawula, uzakuba lamandla okuma, njalo labo bonke lababantu bazabuyela endaweni yabo ngokuthula.
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 UMozisi waselilalela ilizwi likayisezala, wenza konke ayekutshilo.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all 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 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 Zasezibahlulela abantu ngaso sonke isikhathi; zaletha kuMozisi indaba ezinzima, kodwa lonke udaba oluncinyane zalwahlulela zona.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 UMozisi wasemyekela wahamba uyisezala; waya elizweni lakibo.
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
