Liber Exodus, 18

1. Cumque audisset Iethro sacerdos Madian socer Moysi omnia, quae fecerat Deus Moysi et Israel populo suo, eo quod eduxisset Dominus Israel de Aegypto,

1. Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian, 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. tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi, quam remiserat,

2. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zippo'rah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

3. et duos filios eius, quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre: “Advena fui in terra aliena”,

3. and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land"),

4. alter vero Eliezer: “Deus enim, ait, patris mei adiutor meus, et eruit me de gladio pharaonis”.

4. and the name of the other, Elie'zer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh").

5. Venit ergo Iethro socer Moysi et filii eius et uxor eius ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei;

5. And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

6. et mandavit Moysi dicens: “Ego socer tuus Iethro venio ad te et uxor tua et duo filii tui cum ea”.

6. And when one told Moses, "Lo, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,"

7. Qui egressus in occursum soceri sui adoravit et osculatus est eum, salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis. Cumque intrasset tabernaculum,

7. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and went into the tent.

8. narravit Moyses socero suo cuncta, quae fecerat Dominus pharaoni et Aegyptiis propter Israel, universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.

8. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

9. Laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis, quae fecerat Dominus Israel, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum,

9. And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10. et ait: “Benedictus Dominus, qui liberavit vos de manu Aegyptiorum et de manu pharaonis.

10. And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh.

11. Nunc cognovi quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos, eo quod eruerit populum de manu Aegyptiorum, qui superbe egerunt contra illos”.

11. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them."

12. Obtulit ergo Iethro socer Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo; veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israel, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.

12. And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

13. Altero autem die sedit Moyses, ut iudicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi de mane usque ad vesperam.

13. On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening.

14. Quod cum vidisset socer eius, omnia scilicet, quae agebat in populo, ait: “Quid est hoc, quod facis in plebe? Cur solus sedes, et omnis populus praestolatur de mane usque ad vesperam?”.

14. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?"

15. Cui respondit Moyses: “Venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei.

15. And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God;

16. Cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me, ut iudicem inter eos et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius”.

16. when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions."

17. At ille: “Non bonam, inquit, rem facis.

17. Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.

18. Consumeris et tu et populus iste, qui tecum est. Ultra vires tuas est negotium; solus illud non poteris sustinere.

18. You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone.

19. Sed audi verba mea atque consilia, et erit Deus tecum: Esto tu populo in his, quae ad Deum pertinent, ut referas causas ad Deum

19. Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God;

20. ostendasque populo praecepta et leges viamque, per quam ingredi debeant, et opus, quod facere debeant.

20. and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.

21. Provide autem de omni plebe viros strenuos et timentes Deum, in quibus sit veritas, et qui oderint avaritiam, et constitue ex eis tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos,

21. Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

22. qui iudicent populum omni tempore. Quidquid autem maius fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent; leviusque sit tibi, partito cum aliis onere.

22. And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

23. Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei et praecepta eius poteris sustentare, et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace”.

23. If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace."

24. Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia, quae ille suggesserat;

24. So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

25. et, electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israel, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos,

25. Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

26. qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore. Quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo iudicantes.

26. And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

27. Dimisitque socerum suum, qui reversus abiit in terram suam.

27. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.