Êxodo 18
1 Ora Jethro, sacerdote de Midian, sogro de Moysés, ouviu todas as coisas que Deus tinha feito a Moysés e a Israel seu povo: como o Senhor tinha tirado a Israel do Egypto.
Jethro, who was the priest for the Midian people-group, and who was also Moses’/my father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for the Israeli people. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt.
2 E Jethro, sogro de Moysés, tomou a Zippora, a mulher de Moysés, depois que elle lh'a enviara,
Moses/I had [previously] sent his/my wife Zipporah [back home when he/I was returning to Egypt]. But now Jethro came to him/me,
3 Com seus dois filhos, dos quaes um se chamava Gerson; porque disse: Eu fui peregrino em terra estranha;
bringing Zipporah and their/our two sons. One son was named Gershom, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘foreigner’], because he/I had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another land.”
4 E o outro se chamava Eliezer; porque disse: O Deus de meu pae foi por minha ajuda, e me livrou da espada de Pharaó.
Her other son was named Eliezer, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘God helps me’], because [he/I] had said “God, whom my father [worshiped], has helped me and saved [me] from being killed [MTY] by the king [of Egypt].”
5 Vindo pois Jethro, o sogro de Moysés, com seus filhos e com sua mulher, a Moysés no deserto, ao monte de Deus, onde se tinha acampado,
While Moses/I was camped [with the Israeli people] in the desert [near Sinai], God’s sacred/holy mountain, Jethro came to him/me, bringing along Moses’/my wife and our [two] sons.
6 Disse a Moysés: Eu, teu sogro Jethro, venho a ti, com tua mulher, e seus dois filhos com ella.
Jethro had sent a message to Moses/me, “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you, bringing along your wife and your two sons!”
7 Então saiu Moysés ao encontro de seu sogro, e inclinou-se, e beijou-o, e perguntaram um ao outro como estavam, e entraram na tenda.
So Moses/I went out of the campsite to meet his/my father-in-law. He/I bowed before him, and kissed him [on the cheek]. (They both/We) asked each other, “Have you been healthy?” Then they/we went into [Moses’/my] tent.
8 E Moysés contou a seu sogro todas as coisas que o Senhor tinha feito a Pharaó e aos egypcios por amor de Israel, e todo o trabalho que passaram no caminho, e como o Senhor os livrara.
Moses/I told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the [other] people in Egypt for the sake of the Israeli people. He/I also told him about the troubles/problems they/we had experienced on the way, and how Yahweh had helped them/us.
9 E alegrou-se Jethro de todo o bem que o Senhor tinha feito a Israel, livrando-o da mão dos egypcios.
Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
10 E Jethro disse: Bemdito seja o Senhor, que vos livrou das mãos dos egypcios e da mão de Pharaó; que livrou a este povo de debaixo da mão dos egypcios.
He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
11 Agora sei que o Senhor é maior que todos os deuses: porque na coisa, em que se ensoberbeceram, os sobrepujou.
Now I realize that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued you all from the power [MTY] of the proud Egyptians when [they] were causing you [to suffer].”
12 Então tomou Jethro, o sogro de Moysés, holocausto e sacrificios para Deus: e veiu Aarão, e todos os anciãos de Israel, para comerem pão com o sogro de Moysés diante de Deus.
Then Jethro sacrificed an animal by burning it completely on the altar [as an offering], and he also offered other sacrifices to God. Aaron and the Israeli elders/leaders went with them/us to eat a sacred meal with Jethro.
13 E aconteceu que, ao outro dia, Moysés assentou-se para julgar o povo; e o povo estava em pé diante de Moysés desde a manhã até á tarde
The next day, Moses/I sat down at the place where he/I settled disputes among the people. The people were continually bringing their disputes to Moses/me, from morning until evening.
14 Vendo pois o sogro de Moysés tudo o que elle fazia ao povo, disse: Que é isto, que tu fazes as povo? porque te assentas só, e todo o povo está em pé diante de ti, desde a manhã até á tarde?
When Jethro saw everything that Moses/I was doing for the people, he said, “(Why are you doing all this for the people?/You should not be doing all this for the people!) [RHQ] Why are you doing this by yourself, and all the people are crowding around you, from morning until evening, [asking you to make decisions for them] [RHQ]?”
15 Então disse Moysés a seu sogro: É porque este povo vem a mim, para consultar a Deus:
Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
16 Quando tem algum negocio vem a mim, para que eu julgue entre um e outro, e lhes declare os estatutos de Deus, e as suas leis.
When they have a dispute about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. I also tell them all of God’s laws and instructions.”
17 O sogro de Moysés porém lhe disse: Não é bom o que fazes.
Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
18 Totalmente desfallecerás, assim tu, como este povo que está comtigo: porque este negocio é mui difficil para ti; tu só não o podes fazer.
You and these people will (wear yourselves out/become exhausted)! This work is too much for one person. You are not able to do it by yourself.
19 Ouve agora minha voz, eu te aconselharei, e Deus será comtigo: Sê tu pelo povo diante de Deus, e leva tu as coisas a Deus;
Now listen to some good advice [MTY] I will give to you. [If you do what I suggest], God will help you. You should continue to speak to God and tell him about the people’s disputes.
20 E declara-lhes os estatutos e as leis, e faze-lhes saber o caminho em que devem andar, e a obra que devem fazer.
You should [also] teach the people what God has commanded and instructed you. You should also explain to them how they should conduct their lives, and the things that they should do.
21 E tu d'entre todo o povo procura homens capazes, tementes a Deus, homens de verdade, que aborrecem a avareza; e põe-n'os sobre elles por maioraes de mil, maioraes de cento, maioraes de cincoenta, e maioraes de dez;
But in addition, you should choose some [other men to help you]. Choose men who have reverence for God and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions [for groups of] ten people, [some for groups of] 50 [people], [some for groups of] 100 [people], [and some for groups of] 1,000 [people].
22 Para que julguem este povo em tempo; e seja que todo o negocio pequeno elles o julguem: assim a ti mesmo te alliviarás da carga, e elles a levarão comtigo.
Allow them to serve permanently to settle disputes for the people. The difficult matters the people can bring to you; but the matters that are not difficult, they can decide themselves. That will make the work easier for you, as they help you do that work.
23 Se isto fizeres, e Deus t'o mandar, poderás então subsistir: assim tambem todo este povo em paz virá ao seu logar.
If you do that, and [I think that] God is telling you to do it (OR, if God tells you to do it), you will not become exhausted, and all the people will be able to go home feeling satisfied about the decisions, [with their disputes settled quickly”].
24 E Moysés deu ouvidos á voz de seu sogro, e fez tudo quanto tinha dito;
Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
25 E escolheu Moysés homens capazes, de todo o Israel, e os poz por cabeças sobre o povo: maioraes de mil, maioraes de cento, maioraes de cincoenta, e maioraes de dez.
Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
26 E elles julgaram o povo em todo o tempo; o negocio arduo trouxeram a Moysés, e todo o negocio pequeno julgaram elles.
They were appointed permanently to make decisions about the people’s disputes. They brought the difficult cases to Moses/me, but they decided the matters that were not difficult by themselves.
27 Então despediu Moysés o seu sogro, o qual se foi á sua terra.
Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
