ʻEkisotosi 18

1 Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻa Setelo, ko e taulaʻeiki ʻo Mitiane, ko e tamai ʻi he fono kia Mōsese, ki he meʻa kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe he ʻOtua maʻa Mōsese, pea ki hono kakai ko ʻIsileli, pea mo e ʻomi ʻe Sihova ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite;

And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, the kinsman of Moses, had heard all that God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and that the Lord had led Israel away from Egypt,

2 Pea toʻo ʻe Setelo, ko e tamai ʻi he fono kia Mōsese, ʻa Sipola ko e mali ʻo Mōsese, hili ʻene fekau ke ʻalu ia;

he brought Zipporah, the wife of Moses, whom he was to return to him,

3 Mo ʻene ongo tama: ko e tokotaha ʻi ai naʻe hingoa ko Kesomi; he naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Naʻaku nofo ko e muli ʻi he fonua kehe:

and her two sons, of whom one was called Gershom, (for his father said, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land,”)

4 Pea ko hono hingoa ʻoe tokotaha ko ʻEliesa; he naʻe pehē ʻe ia, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko hoku tokoni, pea naʻa ne fakamoʻui au mei he heletā ʻa Felo:”

and the other in truth was Eliezer, (“For the God of my father,” he said, “is my helper, and has rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”)

5 Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Setelo, ko e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, mo hono ongo foha, mo hono mali kia Mōsese ʻi he toafa, ʻaia naʻa ne ʻapitanga ai ʻi he moʻunga ʻoe ʻOtua:

And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, with his sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert, where he was encamped next to the mountain of God.

6 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kia Mōsese, “Ko au Setelo ko hoʻo tamai ʻi he fono, kuo u haʻu kiate koe, mo ho mali, mo ʻene ongo tama mo ia.”

And he sent word to Moses, saying: “I, Jethro, your kinsman, have come to you, with your wife, and your two sons with her.”

7 Pea naʻe ʻalu kituaʻā ʻa Mōsese ke fakafetaulaki ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne fakaʻapaʻapa ki ai, mo ʻuma kiate ia pea fefehuʻiʻaki ʻakinaua ki heʻena lelei pea naʻa nau haʻu ki he fale fehikitaki.

And going out to meet his kinsman, he reverenced and kissed him. And they saluted each other with peaceful words. And when he had arrived at the tent,

8 Pea naʻe fakahā ʻe Mōsese ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻaia kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe Sihova kia Felo, pea ki he kakai ʻIsipite koeʻuhi ko ʻIsileli, pea mo e mamahi kotoa pē kuo tō kiate kinautolu ʻi he hala, pea mo e fakamoʻui ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova.

Moses explained to his kinsman all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on behalf of Israel, and all the hardships which had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had freed them.

9 Pea naʻe fiefia ʻa Setelo ʻi he ngaahi angalelei kotoa pē ʻaia kuo fai ʻe Sihova ki ʻIsileli, ʻaia naʻa ne fakamoʻui mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite.

And Jethro was gladdened over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, because he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Pea pehē ʻe Setelo, “Fakafetaʻi kia Sihova, ʻaia kuo ne fakahaofi ʻakimoutolu mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite, pea mei he nima ʻo Felo, pea kuo ne fakahaofi ʻae kakai mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite.

And he said: “Blessed is the Lord, who has freed his people from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh; he has rescued his people from the hand of Egypt.

11 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou ʻilo ai ʻoku lahi ʻa Sihova ʻi he ngaahi ʻotua kotoa pē: koeʻuhi ʻi he meʻa ko ia naʻa nau fai fakafiefielahi ai, naʻe māʻolunga lahi ia ʻiate kinautolu.”

Now I know that the great Lord is above all gods. This is why they acted arrogantly against them.”

12 Pea naʻe toʻo ʻe Setelo ko e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻae feilaulau tutu mo e ngaahi feilaulau ki he ʻOtua: pea naʻe haʻu ʻa ʻElone mo e kau mātuʻa kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli, ke nau kai mā mo e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.

And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, offered holocausts and sacrifices to God. And Aaron arrived with all the elders of Israel, in order to eat bread with him in the sight of God.

13 Pea pongipongi ai pea pehē, naʻe nofo ʻa Mōsese ke fakamaauʻi ʻae kakai: pea naʻe tuʻu ʻae kakai ʻo ofi kia Mōsese mei he pongipongi ʻo aʻu ki he efiafi.

Then, the next day, Moses sat down in order to judge the people, and they stood beside Moses from morning, even until evening.

14 Pea kuo mamata ʻae tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese ki he meʻa kotoa pē naʻa ne fai ki he kakai, naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Ko e hā ʻae meʻa ni ʻoku ke fai ki he kakai ni? Ko e hā ʻoku ke nofo tokotaha ai pe, pea tuʻu ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻo ofi kiate koe mei he pongipongi ki he efiafi?”

And when, of course, his kinsman saw all that he did among the people, he said: “What is this that you do among the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you, from morning, even until evening?”

15 Pea pehē ʻe Mōsese ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, “Koeʻuhi ʻoku haʻu ʻae kakai ke fehuʻi kiate au ki he ʻOtua;

And Moses answered him: “The people come to me seeking the verdict of God.

16 ‌ʻOka ai haʻanau meʻa, ʻoku nau haʻu kiate au; peau fakamaau ki he tangata mo e tangata, pea u fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi fekau ʻae ʻOtua, mo ʻene ngaahi fono.”

And when any kind of dispute occurs among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to reveal the precepts of God and of his laws.”

17 Pea naʻe lea ʻae tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese kiate ia, ʻo pehē, “Ko e meʻa ni ʻoku ke fai ʻoku ʻikai lelei.

But he said, “This is not good, what you are doing.

18 He te ke fakaʻaʻau ʻo ʻosi moʻoni koe, ʻa koe mo e kakai ni ʻoku ʻiate koe: he ʻoku mamafa lahi ʻaupito ʻae meʻa ni kiate koe: ʻoku ʻikai te ke mafai ia ʻe koe tokotaha pe.

You will be consumed by foolish efforts, both you and this people who are with you. The task is beyond your strength; you will not be able bear it alone.

19 Ko eni, fanongo ki hoku leʻo, pea te u akonakiʻi koe, pea ʻe ʻiate koe ʻae ʻOtua: Ke ke ʻi he kakai ko e fehokotakiʻanga mo e ʻOtua, koeʻuhi ke ke ʻomi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ki he ʻOtua;

But listen to my words and counsels, and then God will be with you. Be available to the people in that which pertains to God, so as to refer what they say to him,

20 Pea te ke ekinaki ʻae ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, mo e ngaahi fono, pea ke fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻae hala ʻoku totonu ke nau ʻalu ai, mo e ngaahi ngāue ke nau fai,

and to reveal to the people the ceremonies, and the rituals of worship, and the way by which they should progress, and the work that they should do.

21 Pea ko eni ke ke fili mei he kakai ʻae kau tangata ʻoku mafai, ʻoku manavahē ki he ʻOtua, ko e kau tangata ʻoe moʻoni, ʻoku fehiʻa ki he manumanu; pea ke fakanofo ʻakinautolu ke nau pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, mo pule ki he ngaahi toko teau, mo pule ki he ngaahi nimangofulu, mo pule ki he ngaahi hongofulu:

Then provide, from all of the people, men capable and fearing God, in whom there is truth and who hate avarice, and appoint from them tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens,

22 Pea tuku ke nau fakamaau ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi kuonga kotoa pē: pea ʻe pehē, ʻilonga ʻae meʻa lahi kotoa pē, ke nau ʻomi ia kiate koe, ka ko e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku siʻi, ke nau fakamaauʻi: ko ia ʻe hoko ʻo faingofua ai kiate koe, pea te nau fai mo koe ke fua ʻae kavenga.

who may judge the people at all times. Then, when anything greater will have occurred, they may refer it to you, and let them judge the lesser matters only. And so it may be lighter for you, the burden being divided among others.

23 Pea kapau te ke fai ʻae meʻa ni, pea fekau pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kiate koe, te ke toki mafai ke tolonga, ai, pea ʻe ʻalu ʻae kakai ni kotoa pē ki honau potu ʻi he fiemālie.”

If you will do this, you will fulfill the orders of God, and you will be able to uphold his precepts. And this entire people will return to their places in peace.”

24 Pea naʻe tokanga ʻa Mōsese ki he leʻo ʻo ʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne fai ʻaia kotoa pē naʻa ne lea ki ai.

Having heard this, Moses did everything that he had suggested to him.

25 Pea naʻe fili ʻe Mōsese ʻae kau tangata mafai mei ʻIsileli kotoa pē, ʻo ne fakanofo ʻakinautolu ko e ʻulu ʻoe kakai, ko e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, mo e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko teau, ko e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko nimangofulu, mo e kau pule ki he ngaahi hongofulu.

And choosing virtuous men from all of Israel, he appointed them as leaders of the people: tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.

26 Pea naʻe fakamaau ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi faʻahitaʻu kotoa pē; naʻa nau ʻomi kia Mōsese ʻae ngaahi meʻa faingataʻa, ka ko e ngaahi meʻa siʻi naʻe fakamaau ʻekinautolu.

And they judged the people at all times. But whatever was more serious, they referred to him, and they judged easier matters only.

27 Pea naʻe tuku ʻe Mōsese ʻene tamai ʻi he fono ke ne ʻalu; pea naʻe ʻalu ia ʻi hono hala ki hono fonua.

And he dismissed his kinsman, who, turning back, went to his own land.