Exodus 18

NEW JERUSALEM	VULGATA
1 Jethro, priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, had heard al about what God had done for Moses andfor Israel his people: how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.	1 Cumque audisset Jethro, sacerdos Madian, cognatus Moysi, omnia quæ fecerat Deus Moysi, et Israëli populo suo, et quod eduxisset Dominus Israël de Ægypto,
2 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, then took back Zipporah, Moses' wife, whom Moses had sent home,	2 tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat,
3 with her two sons; one of them was cal ed Gershom because, he had said, 'I am an alien in a foreignland,'	3 et duos filios ejus : quorum unus vocabatur Gersam, dicente patre : Advena fui in terra aliena ;
4 and the other cal ed Eliezer because 'My father's God is my help and has delivered me from Pharaoh'ssword.'	4 alter vero Eliezer : Deus enim, ait, patris mei adjutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.
5 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, with Moses' sons and wife, came to Moses in the desert where hewas encamped, at the mountain of God.	5 Venit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi, et filii ejus, et uxor ejus ad Moysen in desertum, ubi erat castrametatus juxta montem Dei.
6 'Here is your father-in-law Jethro approaching', Moses was told, 'with your wife and her two sons.'	6 Et mandavit Moysi, dicens : Ego Jethro cognatus tuus venio ad te, et uxor tua, et duo filii cum ea.
7 So Moses went out to greet his father-in-law, bowed low to him and kissed him; and when each hadasked how the other was they went into the tent.	7 Qui egressus in occursum cognati sui, adoravit, et osculatus est eum : salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis. Cumque intrasset tabernaculum,
8 Moses then told his father-in-law al about what Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians forIsrael's sake, and about al the hardships that they had encountered on the way, and how Yahweh had rescuedthem.	8 narravit Moyses cognato suo cuncta quæ fecerat Dominus Pharaoni et Ægyptiis propter Israël : universumque laborem, qui accidisset eis in itinere, et quod liberaverat eos Dominus.
9 And Jethro was delighted at al Yahweh's goodness to Israel in having rescued them from the clutchesof the Egyptians.	9 Lætatusque est Jethro super omnibus bonis, quæ fecerat Dominus Israëli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum.
10 'Blessed be Yahweh', Jethro exclaimed, 'for having rescued you from the clutches of the Egyptiansand the clutches of Pharaoh, for having rescued the people from the grasp of the Egyptians!	10 Et ait : Benedictus Dominus, qui liberavit vos de manu Ægyptiorum, et de manu Pharaonis ; qui eruit populum suum de manu Ægypti.
11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than al other gods. . .'	11 Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos : eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.
12 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, then offered a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God; and Aaron and al the elders of Israel came and ate with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.	12 Obtulit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo : veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israël, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.
13 On the fol owing day, Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people, and the people werestanding round him from morning til evening.	13 Altera autem die sedit Moyses ut judicaret populum, qui assistebat Moysi a mane usque ad vesperam.
14 Seeing all he did for the people, Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'Why do you do this for the people,why sit here alone with the people standing round you from morning til evening?'	14 Quod 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 ?
15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to consult God.	15 Cui respondit Moyses : Venit ad me populus quærens sententiam Dei :
16 When they have a problem they come to me, and I give a ruling between the one and the other andmake God's statutes and laws known to them.'	16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio, veniunt ad me ut judicem inter eos, et ostendam præcepta Dei, et leges ejus.
17 Moses' father-in-law then said to him, 'What you are doing is not right.	17 At ille : Non bonam, inquit, rem facis.
18 You wil only tire yourself out, and the people with you too, for the work is too heavy for you. Youcannot do it all yourself.	18 Stulto labore consumeris et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est : ultra vires tuas est negotium ; solus illud non poteris sustinere.
19 Now listen to the advice I am going to give you, and God be with you! Your task is to represent thepeople to God, to lay their cases before God,	19 Sed audi verba mea atque consilia, et erit Deus tecum. Esto tu populo in his quæ ad Deum pertinent, ut referas quæ dicuntur ad eum :
20 and to teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way they ought to fol ow and how theyought to behave.	20 ostendasque populo cæremonias et ritum colendi, viamque per quam ingredi debeant, et opus quod facere debeant.
21 At the same time, from the people at large choose capable and God-fearing men, men who aretrustworthy and incorruptible, and put them in charge of them as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens,	21 Provide 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,
22 and make them the people's permanent judges. They wil refer al important matters to you, but alminor matters they will decide themselves, so making things easier for you by sharing the burden with you.	22 qui judicent populum omni tempore : quidquid autem majus fuerit, referant ad te, et ipsi minora tantummodo judicent : leviusque sit tibi, partito in alios onere.
23 If you do this -- and may God so command you -- you will be able to stand the strain, and all thesepeople wil go home satisfied.'	23 Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et præcepta ejus poteris sustentare : et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.
24 Moses took his father-in-law's advice and did just as he said.	24 Quibus auditis, Moyses fecit omnia quæ ille suggesserat.
25 Moses chose capable men from al Israel and put them in charge of the people as heads ofthousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.	25 Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israël, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.
26 These acted as the people's permanent judges. They referred hard cases to Moses but decidedminor matters themselves.	26 Qui judicabant plebem omni tempore : quidquid autem gravius erat, referebant ad eum, faciliora tantummodo judicantes.
27 Moses then set his father-in-law on his way, and he travelled back to his own country.	27 Dimisitque cognatum suum : qui reversus abiit in terram suam.