Exodus 18
Clementine Vulgate, 1598Translation
Clementine Vulgate, 1598
Berean Standard Bible
1Cumque audisset Jethro, sacerdos Madian, cognatus Moysi, omnia quæ fecerat Deus Moysi, et Israëli populo suo, et quod eduxisset Dominus Israël de Ægypto,
1Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat,
2After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,
3et duos filios ejus: quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre: Advena fui in terra aliena;
3along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
4alter vero Eliezer: Deus enim, ait, patris mei adjutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.
4The other son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5Venit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi, et filii ejus, et uxor ejus ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus juxta montem Dei.
5Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
6Et mandavit Moysi, dicens: Ego Jethro cognatus tuus venio ad te, et uxor tua, et duo filii cum ea.
6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7Qui egressus in occursum cognati sui, adoravit, et osculatus est eum: salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis. Cumque intrasset tabernaculum,
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.
8narravit Moyses cognato suo cuncta quæ fecerat Dominus Pharaoni et Ægyptiis propter Israël: universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.
8Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
9Lætatusque est Jethro super omnibus bonis, quæ fecerat Dominus Israëli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum.
9And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.
10Et ait: Benedictus Dominus, qui liberavit vos de manu Ægyptiorum, et de manu Pharaonis; qui eruit populum suum de manu Ægypti.
10Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
11Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos: eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.
11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”
12Obtulit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo: veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israël, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.
12Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
13Altera autem die sedit Moyses ut judicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi a mane usque ad vesperam.
13The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
14Quod cum vidisset cognatus ejus, omnia scilicet quæ agebat in populo, ait: Quid est hoc quod facis in plebe? cur solus sedes, et omnis populus præstolatur de mane usque ad vesperam?
14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
15Cui respondit Moyses: Venit ad me populus quærens sententiam Dei:
15“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.
16cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me ut judicem inter eos, et ostendam præcepta Dei, et leges ejus.
16“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”
17At ille: Non bonam, inquit, rem facis.
17But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
18Stulto labore consumeris et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est: ultra vires tuas est negotium; solus illud non poteris sustinere.
18Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
19Sed audi verba mea atque consilia, et erit Deus tecum. Esto tu populo in his quæ ad Deum pertinent, ut referas quæ dicuntur ad eum:
19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
20ostendasque populo cæremonias et ritum colendi, viamque per quam ingredi debeant, et opus quod facere debeant.
20Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.
21Provide autem de omni plebe viros potentes, et timentes Deum, in quibus sit veritas, et qui oderint avaritiam, et constitue ex eis tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos,
21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22qui judicent populum omni tempore: quidquid autem majus fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo judicent: leviusque sit tibi, partito in alios onere.
22Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.
23Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et præcepta ejus poteris sustentare: et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.
23If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
24Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia quæ ille suggesserat.
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
25Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israël, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.
25So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26Qui judicabant plebem omni tempore: quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo judicantes.
26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
27Dimisitque cognatum suum: qui reversus abiit in terram suam.
27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.
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