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;

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 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;

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

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. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner 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:”

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 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:

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 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.”

He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”

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.

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 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.

On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the 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?”

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

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to enquire 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.”

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

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

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 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 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;

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 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,

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 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:

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 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.

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 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 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 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.

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

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.

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 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.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

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

Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.